


Light

by lunavic01



Category: Avengers, Loki laufeyson - Fandom, MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Tony Stark - Fandom, peter parker - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Bad Parents, Bucky Barnes Feels, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, I'll add tags if necessary, Original Character(s), Parent Death, Parent Tony, Past Child Abuse, Peter Parker is a Good Bro, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, dad tony stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-08-23 21:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 40,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunavic01/pseuds/lunavic01
Summary: When one of the Avengers finds a girl fleeing from her past, her only option is to trust them to help her. What they did not know was that this decision would change everyone's life forever. Especially Tony's.





	1. Running

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, let me let this clear. This fanfic has the main focus on the reader and Tony in a PATERNAL relationship, but the others Avengers have a important role too. Peter, Loki, and Buck mostly. This is completely different that what I'm used to do so I hope you guys enjoy.

Hope was running as if her life depended of it. And as a matter of fact, it really did; she ran like never before, ignoring the complaints of people and the desire to  scream. Ignoring everything, she just ran If caught her, Hope would have a fate worse than death.

Hope kept running nonstop until her lungs couldn’t take it anymore and she started feel dizzy. because of this, her feet got in the way and she hit the ground.

The pain of the impact on her knee made Hope want to scream. Some people came over and asked if she was okay or if she needed help, but Hope didn’t hear a word. The voices were too distant, everything seemed to be in slow motion, blood pumping in her ears and her blurred vision making everything difficult. She just prayed that these people would stop touching her. 

She had to keep running. She had to keep running until she was sure she wouldn’t find her. 

Hope stood up slowly, her knee not cooperating with that goal just like those people that tried to stop her. She pushed those people aside and started to run again, limping slightly and ignoring the seeping blood mingling with sweat that stung her cuts and bruises.

After just a few minutes more, Hope couldn't run anymore, too tired and hurt to continue; she felt like she was going to faint at any moment and it was going to be bad. She couldn’t risk being taken to the authorities; she couldn’t.

Before she could think about it too much, Hope ran headlong into someone, making her and the person fall back. Her blurred vision prevented her from seeing who it was.

“I’m sorry, Are you alright?” He asked, with a strong accent that reassured her. None of  _ her _ henchmen had accents. Hope tried to get up again but her body didn’t cooperate, so she fell one more time and started feel the darkness of unconsciousness, now known, trying to reach her. 

_ No! Not now! Please, not now! _

“For all Gods, what happened to you?” a tone of urgency crept into his voice. Hope felt the voice somewhat close, but so far away at the same time. “Hey, look at me. I think you’re gonna faint” He tried to hold her face, but Hope pushed him away immediately. “Okay. Okay. I’m not going to touch you. I’m not gonna hurt you”. He said softly as the darkness grew closer and closer, and Hope’s whole body trembled and everything hurt. “But you need help, little one. I’m going to take you to the hospital.”

Those words made the desperation grow inside her again, making she look to the unknown man and shake her head frantically; the action only made her feel another wave of dizziness, this time stronger.

“Hey, hey, stay awake. You don’t wanna go to the hospital? Okay.” He seemed to think for a few minutes and said "Okay, I'm going to... Hey, little one. Look at me, try to..."

Hope didn’t listen, the weariness overcame her, making her plunge into the scary yet familiar darkness.

_ “...I found her on the street… was running and fall in me. She seemed scared… I couldn’t leave… didn’t want me to touch her…”  _

_ “... Pretty ugly bruise. Put her here.”  _

_ “Hey little one? Can you hear me? Open your eyes?”  _

_ “Her knee…” _

Hope opened her eyes slowly and as soon as she did, the throbbing pain in her head and knees hit her, making her grimace in pain. Soon after, she felt something on her nose and realized she had an oxygen mask on her face, which she pulled at awkwardly. She reached up and felt the carefully placed bandage around her head, over the cut that once bled.

The brightness of the place makes her eyes hurt, so she closed them quickly, making Hope feel an irritating wave of nausea.

She tried to opene her eyes one more time, and that time it wasn’t so hard. It hurt a little, but she blinked a few times, trying to readjust the focus and examine the place she was in.

When her vision wasn’t hurting so much, she tired to sat up and looked around. She was in a white room with medical equipment all around her. A hospital.

_ Damnit! I asked that guy to not bring me here! I have to get out of here. Like, now. _

She pulled her feet out from under the blanket, rising quickly and losing some balance, but soon recovered, looking around again, and approached the immense glass window overlooking the whole city.

_ It's a big hospital. With a little luck they won’t see me. _

She went to the door and opened it slowly, facing a large hallway with other doors.

_ What a quiet Hospital. Aren’t hospitals  supposed to be noisy? And it's so big... Well, it'll be easier than I thought. _

She was about to take the first step out of the room when she heard voices.

"Friday said she woke up" A voice spoke.

"Is she okay?" Another voice asked.

"I don’t know, she seemed pretty scared." The guy with the accent responded.

Fear invaded Hope with full force as she closed the door quickly, looking around for somewhere, anywhere to hide, but the only thing she saw was a wall. If she hid behind it, whoever entered the room couldn’t see it. She ran over and leaned back against the wall back, hoping not to be seen.

She heard a knock on the door. "Hi, can we come in?" The familiar voice sent a chill up Hope’s spine.

_ Oh, no. _

They opened the door and didn’t see her, which infused urgency in his next comment..

"Where is she?"

_ Oh no, this is much worse. _

“Kid, it’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you.” Hope heard a voice she knew very well from the television.

Hope saw a boy about her age walking toward her and standing in front of her, his brown eyes never leaving hers

_ Oh, fuck me _ .

"Mr. Stark." He called and the two men appeared in front of her.

_ This is bad. This is very, very bad. _

"Hi, I'm Loki, this is Stark, and Peter, you're safe now." The accent man introduced himself.

Hope closed her eyes tightly, trying desperately to find a solution to her current situation.

"It's okay kid. You're in the avengers tower." Stark said with a worried expression. 


	2. Unspoken

“You don’t need to worry anymore. You’re safe.” Stark assured again.

_ No. I’m not safe. Actually, I’m far, far away from safe. I have to get out of here! _

“You can relax now. You’re not in danger anymore.” The boy called Peter told her, but she didn’t relax. Hope was too scared to even breathe. 

“Can you tell me your name?” Loki asked softly, but Hope remained in silence.   

“Do you speak?” Stark questioned, looking almost annoyed. Silence. Silence was the only thing Hope knew at that point. “Friday, check her vocal chords.” 

“Vocal chords in perfect state.” Hope looked up with wide eyes, searching for the voice that just spoke. 

“That’s Friday; She’s a AI. She practically controls everything.” Peter answered that unspoken question, giving her a small smile. “Say hi to our guest, Friday.” 

“Hello, Ms. Jones.” The robotic voice said, giving Hope a wave of fear. 

_ Oh, no. no, no, no. How the hell does this thing know my name?!  _

“Why don’t you  speak?” Stark questioned frowning further. 

Hope felt the despair take over her again, feeling and thinking too much all at the same time. She couldn’t be caught. They couldn’t figure out who she was. 

It was too much. Hope started to feel a panic attack coming on, and she hated that both she and Tony realized it at the same time. 

“Hey, hey… Kid.” Stark tried to make eye contact with her, and at some point, Tony met the scared eyes of the child in front of him. “It’s okay. Just breathe. You’re alright.”

Hope closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, trying to stop the memories. 

_ No, no, no. I’m not alright. They’re going to kill me.  _ “Hey, kid. Look at me. Look at me.” Hope opened her eyes and met the focused eyes of the man. “Just look at me, don’t play attention to the memories. Just focus on me and on your breathing. Okay?”

Hope didn’t stop looking at the man, and Tony’s gaze didn’t leave Hope’s, just waiting to her calm down. 

After some minutes, Hope’s breathing became more easy, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t scared anymore. 

“Good… Good.” He looked down and asked himself what kind of hell has a 15 or 16 year old kid been through to have brought on a panic attack? 

“Okay, little one. Sorry, but I have to ask. Do you know where you parents are?” Loki asked carefully. 

Tony knew that Friday could just find all the information available about that kid, but Tony wanted to see if Loki could get some words out of her. 

Hope looked down and shook her head, remembering that she was all alone again. The only person who cared about her was now gone. Remembering that without them, her life was a living hell. 

“I think that answers our question.” Loki said, clearing his throat. 

“Where did you came from?” Stark asked again, but Hope didn’t take her eyes off the floor. “Okay, this isn’t working. She clearly doesn’t wanna talk. What are we going to do?” He asked, looking at Loki, searching for answers. Loki looked back, just as lost.

Hope rolled her eyes. 

_ Just let me go? It’s a good start. _

She looked up to see that Peter wasn’t involved in the conversation between the two men. Instead, he hadn’t taken his eyes of herexamining her closely, and she could swear that she could see the gears in his brain working hard. She lookedback at the floor. Social skills were never her thing, always too shy to do so correctly 

“Are you hungry?” Peter asked with hopeful eyes. 

Hope look up immediately with wide open eyes. She couldn’t remember s the last time she got appropriate food, since they left her hungry for most of the week.

Peter smiled and took that as a sign that he was right. The two men looked over at the both of them.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Peter looked at Tony, who just rolled his eyes. 

“Fine, fine. I’ll get her something.” Tony started to walk to the door but stopped, looking at the wall that she was standing against.  “What do you want, kid?” 

Hope just shook her head, biting her lip. 

_ Nice try, but others used worse than that, Stark. _

Tony smiled and rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll get something from the trash.”

_ Figures. It wouldn’t be the first time.  _

It was only then that he realized she was still standing, still clearly frightened, as if at any moment someone would lash out and hurt her, not to mention how exhausted this girl appeared to be, seeming to carry the weight of the world on her small,fragile shoulders. Loki could see that she was in pain and not just physical pain.

“Now, you need to lay down, little one. You got hurt pretty bad and need rest.” Loki said, trying to get closer, but in the moment he did, Hope pushed herself toward the wall even more, even though her back was, quite literally, against a wall.She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. It never came.

Loki froze in the place in the moment he saw how she reacted, and raised his hands slowly to where she could see them.

“Kid, open your eyes. I’m not gonna touch you. I promise.” Hope slowly opened her eyes, watching Loki with a careful expression. “We’re not here to hurt you. We just wanna help, little one.”

Hope wanted to believe them, after all they were The Avengers. But she couldn’t.  _ They _ had people everywhere, she couldn’t let her guard down. 

“Please, you need rest. It’s in your best interest. Just lay down in the bad.” Peter asked. Something about his innocent eyes made her want to listen to them, but she couldn’t let herself be fooled by the appearances. Everybody could betray everybody and she had quite enough experience with that.  

But if she was looking for a form of escape, they needed to believe that she was cool. That she at least started to trust them. 

She slowly walked towards the small bed, sitting with some difficulty and looking at them. 

“Are you not going to lay down?” Peter asked. 

_ I’m not stupid. If I lay down it’s gonna be more difficult to get up and run, silly.  _

“Okay, I think that is all that we’re gonna get from her.” Loki said with a smirk. 

 

Tony descended the last step of the stairs, sighing heavily. When he woke up this morning, the plans of the day definitely wasn’t “have a homeless kid in his lab,” not even knowing what kind of shit she was in. 

He walked towards the kitchen to grab a  sandwich and leaned his body on the counter, unable to get Hope's frightened eyes out of his head.

He'd already been there. He knew the devastating and suffocating sensation that settles in the chest and seems like it will never leave. What he couldn’t understand was why a child had the same problem he did after being held prisoner in Afghanistan. A teenager who should be studying,worrying about the future, boys and going to parties. Not having panic attacks, purple marks cover their arms and be running away from something.

He sighed. “Friday, show me all the information you have on Ms. Jones.” 

“Yes, boss.” Friday took a moment to collect all the info as Tony looked up at the hologram. 

“Hope Rory Jones, daughter of Tracy and Arthur Jones. born on December 23, 2003. Excellent grades throughout the school career, which went until the 7th grade. After this date, Ms. Jones school history doesn’t exist. Mother, Tracy Jones was married to Arthur Jones for two years, was an important ballet dancer, who died on September 25, 2012, in an armed robbery. James Arthur Jones, historian, doesn’t contain data, except for her daughter's permanent guardian.”

Tony watched the documents and statements appear on his screen along with Friday's words. He was right. The girl didn’t have an easy life.

“Stark, why are you taking so-” Loki approached, seeing the vídeo on the screen. “For all God’s… She watched her mother die?”

Tony closed his eyes, having to deal with his own memories. 

“Poor child…” Loki said.

Tony opened his eyes. 

“Well… At least she wasn’t-” Tony was interrupted by a scream coming from upstairs.

Tony and Loki looked at each other for just for a moment before running to the medlab, hearing something break in the process.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoy and tell me what you think!!


	3. The Beging of Living Hell

Hope and Peter were staring at each other for a moment. She looked everywhere, ignoring Peter's gaze. Hope was accustomed to being unnoticed, so Peter's glazed look and all the attention everyone was giving her made her extremely uneasy.   
Peter, on the other hand, was bothered by the silence. He was never in the presence of someone who didn't speak - or in Hope's case, didn't want to speak. He was looking for something, any monologue so he could get out of the awkward silence.

"So... how can I call you?" Peter asked awkward. Hope just stared at him and looked away. "Okay... Friday, can you tell me Miss Jones' full name?"

"Of course Mr. Parker. Her name is Hope Rory Jones.” Friday's robotic, friendly voice echoed around, making Hope look up with a sour look.

"It has access to almost every database that exists. That's why she knows your name. "Peter said with a small shrug. "Your name is very handsome, Hope." Hope looked at Peter analyzing.

_ He really does look innocent. _

She gave a small smile and then avoided his eyes. Peter seems to be well pleased with that attitude and this gave him an idea.

"Hey, do you know Star Wars?"

Hope looked at Peter with a curious look. Of course she had heard of Star Wars. She nodded slightly, and Peter's face lit up.

"Seriously? Okay, okay! I have something to show you. I'll be right back! "Peter ran out of the room without looking back.

Hope shook her head and smiled a little, swinging her legs back and forth.

_ What a luck ... Ending here at the Avengers Tower. I have to get out of here and go somewhere safe ... but I can eat- _

Hope's thoughts were interrupted the moment she heard unfamiliar voices entering the room.

"Friday said they were here..."

Hope panicked. Her breathing began to accelerate again, her mind creating thousands of situations where voices reached her and led her back to them.

She tries to get up, but her bruised knee nearly made her fall, and she had to lean on the bed to keep from reaching the ground.

"Tony? We arrived and- "

A pillow struck Steve's face, and he heard a scream.

Hope began to throw all she could catch at them, shrieking with fear, all over her body.

"Hey! Who-Who is this girl ?! "Sam asked, placing a hand in front of his face to protect himself from the objects thrown.

"Hey, hey, girl-" Steve stops drifting off another pillow. They move to the back of the couch, where Hope kept yelling and throwing on them everything she could put her hands in.

Of course she knew them. Captain America, Winter Soldier and the Falcon. One of the Avengers. The most powerful heroes on Earth. Those who saved Sokovia, who fought in the New York attacks and rescued people from the Soul Stone. Those who defeated the Mad Titan. Hope knew them and admired them as a child. They were supposed to be the good guys. Supposed.

Unfortunately, Hope learned the hard way the people who were supposed to be good and protect others were not always.

Then, without even realizing it, she began to distrust everyone, and now she didn’t trust even the most powerful heroes on Earth.

 

Tony could only hear Hope's desperate cries, his heart pounding in his chest as he could only wonder what would be so terrifying to make her scream like that.

The first thing he saw when he arrived in the room was all being thrown. Hope was in the corner of the room screaming, with a frightened but at the same time extremely determined look, while the three adults were curled up behind the couch with confused and irritated stares. In any other situation, Tony would die laughing. Three strong, grown men who fought against aliens couldn’t deal with a hysterical teenager. But that wasn’t a funny scenario. Hope was scared. A child was afraid of good guys.

"Hey, hey, hey, kid!" Tony stood between the Avengers and Hope, she stopped screaming instantly, but still had a glass vase in her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, Hope saw Loki in a defensive position and Peter coming in at the same moment with a large box in his hands and a confused expression. "Hope, look at me." She was caught off guard by the use of her first name, but she looked at him. "It's all right. They are friends. They will not hurt you. Believe me."

"Tony, what the hell-" Sam tried to speak, but Hope's quick, aggressive response made Tony give him a stern look that shut him up instantly.

_ They do not look so friendly. _

"It's allright. It's okay, I promise.” Tony assured her, but Hope kept taking turns between the strangers and Tony. "Hey, look at me." Hope returned his gaze to Tony, surprised by the soft but authoritative tone he wore. "Hope, you don’t have to be afraid anymore. You're safe here. No one will hurt you or make any harm. Nobody here is the villain.” He paused for a second, letting her digest his words. "Drop the pot, please," he begged gently, and to everyone's surprise except Peter, that was a tone that fit Tony.

Hope looked at her hands, holding the vase so tightly that her fingers were already white, and looked back at Tony.

"No one will hurt you. You have my word, Hope.” he assured her again.

Hope wasn’t someone who trusted people easily. With all the lies and bruises she has acquired in recent years, it was only natural that she didn’t want to be approach. All the people who were ever present in her life turned out to be false, they presented a role that unfortunately she had to play along. But behind the curtains things were very different. The ugly reality came to the fore, and that was it. Ugly.

But when she met Tony's eyes, he still strong breath and his eyes glazed with hers, she didn’t saw any evil there. She cursed herself mentally for wanting to believe his words, those people might rather hurt her, but that promise was so tempting that she slowly started lowering the vase.

Tony reached out slowly, letting her know what he was doing. Hope caught the look on Tony's outstretched hand and then looked at him again. She handed him the object slowly, careful not to touch it and he returned the care as he took it from her hands.

At that moment, Tony realized that gesture was bigger than it seemed. At that moment, Tony understood that Hope was trusting him for the first time since arriving there. She was relying on him not to let the strangers hurt her.

"Okay, okay. Thank you. "Tony looked away from Hope and looked at Peter, who was still at the door with the Star Wars litter box in his hands, then turned his gaze to Hope, who followed his gaze to Peter.

"Hope ... Why don't you go with Peter to the kitchen? Your sandwich is on the counter. "He relaxed from his defensive position and straightened his suit.

Hope looked at Peter who gave a small, inviting smile and then looked at Tony, nodding slightly and walking to the door, but before reaching the door, she looked back at him.

_ I'm sorry. _

Somehow, her eyes told him exactly what she was thinking.

"It's okay, kid. I get it." Tony said, gesturing with his hand.

Hope gave a small nod and followed Peter.

The three men who watched the scene in silence came out behind the sofa with their eyes completely lost.

"What the hell happened here?" Sam asked.

"Who was that girl?" Bucky asked seriously.

"Why did she attack us like that?" Steve said sternly.

"Woah, woah. Hold your horses. There's enough of me for all of you.” Tony joked, avoiding the question.

"Her name is Hope Jones," Loki replied, pulling away from the wall. "I brought you here. I found her in the street, completely bruised, as you clearly saw. She fainted and seemed to be in danger. I couldn’t have left her there. "

Steve and Sam looked at each other, but Bucky stared at the door that Hope left.

"So ... did you just decide to leave her here?" Steve asked, putting his hands on his waist.

"No. Let's just let her recover a bit and call the authorities. After that, it's their problem. "

Loki sighed heavily before retreating, seeming to dislike the idea.

"I think it's the right thing to do." Steve sighed. "I'm going to rest in my room for a while. See you at dinnertime.” He left and Sam followed after him.

"She's just a child. There must be a reason she's here." Bucky stared at Tony for a moment before leaving the room, leaving Tony with his thoughts.

  
  


"And this is the Millenium Falcon. It's the most fantastic ship in the galaxy. "Peter continued to show the Star Wars legos he had on the table to Hope, who paid close attention while filling his mouth with sandwich and orange juice, he pretended not to notice how hungry she seemed to be. "It's cool isn’t it?"

Tony came slowly over, leaning against the wall and watching them.

"I'm very excited to watch the next franchise movie because- oh, Mr. Stark," Peter exclaimed when he noticed Tony's presence. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," he replied smiling. "He already started jabbering about Star Wars, didn’t he?" He asked Hope approaching the table.

Hope just shrugged.

"Is the food good?" He asked again, even though he knew she wouldn’t respond.

She nodded, stopped eating, and put her hands on her lap.

"Peter, why don’t you ask Happy to buy more ice cream? Ours is already over.” Tony asked, looking at Peter.

Peter knew the translation of it: "Give me a few minutes with her. I need information."

"Of course Mr. Stark. I'll see you later Hope." Peter nodded and headed for the exit.

_ Oh no... This can’t be good. _

Tony took the place that Peter was sitting in earlier, being silent for a few minutes, his eyes pawing at the purple stain that marked the child's arms, as if she were attached to a rope, but he wasn’t sure.

"Listen ... Hope. I understand you don’t want to talk... Or something... But we need to know what's happening to be able to help."

Hope looked down, feeling her stomach roll.

"How did you get those marks?" Tony insisted.

Silence.

"Someone did this to you?" He tried again.

Nothing.

Tony leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh, looking sideways.

"Loki told me you did not seem to want to go to the hospital. But we have to call the social service... or the police to help you."

Tony watched Hope's expression slowly grow strained.

"I know it must be difficult, but we can’t do much more than that. I'm sorry, kid." Stark spoke without looking into the girl's eyes.

Hope managed not roll her eyes or give a sarcastic laugh.

_ The authorities didn’t work once and willn’t work again, Mr. Stark. _

 

_ Hope was sitting in the hospital's uncomfortable chair. She didn’t know what to think or what to feel. She was just there, staring at the white wall and the quiet movement of the waiting room, trying to think of anything but her mother, who was in a cold surgical ward struggling for life. _

_ When the doctor came out the emergency doors, Hope already knew, but still she got up and went to the man in the white coat. _

_ The doctor couldn’t even look at her, knowing that his patient was his last member of the family. "I ... I'm terribly sorry." He whined. "We tried everything. We... We couldn’t save her." _

_ Hope slowly feels her world crumble as the doctor's words come together in her head. _

_ "My… my mom is dead?" She asked, though she already knew the answer. _

_ Hope accepted the doctor's silence in response, not even aware of tears falling from her face. _

_ No. It was not time to cry, not here. She would face everything with her head held high as Tracy had taught her. Hope wiped the tears from her face and tried to ignore the lump in her throat and the pain in her chest. _

_ "What's going... What's going to happen to me?" She asked the doctor, making a determined face. _

_ "We have already contacted social work. They are waiting for you. _

_ x-x _

_ The pretty-eyed girl that Hope couldn’t remember her name was in the doorway of the room with the ridiculous decoration, while Hope stared into nowhere. _

_ The Social Worker said something about Hope's father on the way which didn’t make much sense to her, she didn’t remember the man and just saw the married photos that her mother kept hidden but Hope didn’t bother to accompany her explanation. Her heart was hurting too much for that. _

_ "Yes, she is here, Mr. Jones, we ask for your understanding, your daughter is still in shock, it was all very sudden and you need to be patient with her." The woman's voice echoed in Hope's ears as if they were waves distant. _

_ "Yes, yes, I understand. Don’t worry, my girlfriend and I are going to take good care of her."  _

_ "Yes, we’ll give her all the affection she needs." Another voice, that time from one that Hope didn’t recognize. _

_ "So we’re hoping." the assistant said, nodding. _

_ Hope watched a man in white suit and sunglasses and a woman in elegant green clothes walk in the door, but she didn’t looked at them. _

_ "Hope? I wanted to introduce you to your father, Arthur Jones, and his girlfriend Elizabeth Wright." _

_ "Hello honey," the woman said with a forced smile. _

_ “Hi, Hope," he greeted her, kneeling next to her. "I'm sorry for Tracy's death, my dear, I'm sorry we're meeting each other so inappropriately, but I want you to know that you have my support for everything." _

_ Hope looked into the empty eyes of the man in front of her. Her father. She wanted to believe what he said, but the words seemed false, cold and empty as the smile of the unknown woman. _

_ She wanted to scream. Ask for help from anyone. Begging her not to go with them, she just wanted her mother and her normal life, but no word came out of her mouth. _

_ "I bet you'll like living with us, my dear." The woman forced herself to speak. _

"Translation.” _ Hope thought,  _ "Welcome to the Beginning of hell that will be your life."

 

"Hope? Are you still with me? "Tony asked, realizing how far she seemed to be.

She turned her gaze to him.

_ I have to get out of here. Before he calls anyone. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	4. Stay, Please.

_ I have to leave soon as possible.  _

“Hope? You’re with me?” Tony asked seeing the little girl lost in thoughts. 

Hear his voice made her wake up blinking sometimes, trying to remember what did he said. 

_ Okay, you have to play cool if you wanna get out of here.  _

“I asked if you’re okay if I call people who can help you.” He repeated himself, narrowing his eyes to her. 

Hope just nodded slowly, trying to figure a plan that could get her out of that situation, but Tony didn’t seemed convinced.  

“Hope, it’s gonna be okay. I promise you. I know you’re scared and probably have a good reason to be. But you have to let us help. Okay?”

_ What you’re going to do is bring my death Stark.  _

But again, she nodded, trying harder this time to look confident. For her relief, it seemed good enough to him. 

“Great. Now, eat. I’ll make a call and be right back.” He said, getting up from the chair and grabbing his phone from the suit pocket as he walked away. 

Hope waited until she heard distant footsteps, then stood up without making the slightest noise, went to the door and looked at the large corridor. He was no longer seen. 

She pulled her head back to the room and started to walk back and forth trying to think about something. 

_ I don’t have time to think in something more elaborate, I’ll just go, without bring the attention to me. I’m good on that, right?  _

She looked around the kitchen, with a scared feeling inside of her. 

_ Food. I need food.  _

She hated doing that. Her mother never taught it her to do stole things. It’s wrong.. But desperate situations call for desperate actions. 

She filled her dirty pockets with everything she could put her hands on it, and then runs to the door before look to the sides looking if someone was around, luckly, it didn’t. 

She runs to the opposite direction that Tony was and when turn in one hallway but suddenly stopped, that was something that see didn’t thought about it.

_ How big is this place? And how do I get out of here?  _

Her lungs hurts and she felt dizzy with the run. But she couldn’t stop. Not now. She supported the weight of her body on the wall and closed her eyes, trying to remember where the elevator was. 

Opening her eyes again, she tried to walk slowly, ignoring the dizziness and the fear on her chest, Hope tunerd a couple times before reach the elevator and when she did, she sigh of relief. 

“Are you running now?” The voice came out of nowhere, scaring Hope that took some steps away from him. The God of Mischief was against the wall looking at the floor with a indescriptible expression. 

Hope was caught. She didn’t had the chance anymore. 

“You can run. I won’t tell anyone.” He continued. 

Hope narrowed his eyes to him. 

_ What’s the caught?  _

Seeing that Hope didn’t move and was still in a defensive mode, he looked at the sides with a smirk. 

“You know, Hope… I could watch yours memories just by touching your hand.” 

Hope’s eyes wide, fear all cross her body. 

_Please, don't._ _Where Mr. Stark? He promised!_

Loki sensed her fear, and his heart tighled. 

“But I have a feeling that you wouldn’t appreciate that. So, don't worry. I’m not gonna do that.” Hope relaxed a little bit and Loki sighed. “But he’s the thing little one, I can see, even without see your memories that you’re in pain. That you’re afraid and running against something bad.” 

Hope felt a shiver in her spine. 

“And I’ve heard that Stark it’s calling the authorities, but you don’t want that, do you?” 

Hope hesitate, but nodded lightly.

“That’s why you’re running?” He wanted to know. 

Hope nodded again. 

Loki seemed thoughtful not looking at her, and after a few minutes, he asked: 

“Where are you going?”

Hope shrugged.

He nodded and looked away. 

He nodded and looked away.    
"What are you gonna eat?" He asked again.    
She shrugged again.    
"Do you even have somewhere to go?"    
She shakes her head.

“So, stay.” Loki said without looking at her. 

_ What…? _

“Think about it, little one. We’re the Avengers. Nobody is stronger than us. We can protect you from whatever you're running from.” He took a step closer.

The offer it’s tempent. Hope needed protection, but among of all, she wanted somewhere save, that no one would hurt her just because she said or did something bad. She was tired of be by herself.

“I’ll talk with Stark, I know I can change his mind. But you have to trust us.” He said seriously. “To us been able to help you, you need to stay. Okay?”

Hope saw the intensity of his words. He wasn’t lying, she could see. But she was still afraid. 

_ Give then a shot. If they didn’t you run.  _

Hope looked at Loki and nodded lightly. 

“Okay. Why won’t you lie down don’t in the bed lad? Try to rest, you need it.”

Hope nodded again and started to walk away from him. But before, she turned and looked at him. 

_ I’m gonna end up fucked anyways.  _

Loki walked to Tony’s office slowly, taking deep breaths along the way. He stopped in front of the door and knocked, herding a “coming in” after. 

Loki opened the door and saw Tony’s back, holding the cell phone tightly as if unsure what he was supposed to do. 

“Stark.” Loki called and Tony turned around.”Did you called yet?” He asked, pointing to the phone. 

Tony looked to the phone in his hands. “No, no. I didn’t. Not yet.” 

“Good, because Hope just tried to run away from here.” 

Tony’s eyes went wide. “What? Why?”

“I guess it was because you wanted to call people that she didn’t wanted to meet.” Loki shrugged. 

“But I asked her-” 

“She lied, Stark!” Loki rolled his eyes “She don’t want be in the hands of this mortal system, that you know very well, doesn’t work to well.”  

“There’s nothing more we can do, Loki.” Stark took some steps to the window. 

“Well, there’s one thing.” Loki said, pulling his hands on his back. “Let her stay, without letting the mortals knowing.” 

“What?” Tony asked, turning to him. Loki had to be kidding.

“You heard me.” 

“No.” Tony said.

“You’ll just let her be in the hands of unknown people?” Loki asked, getting angry.  

“We can’t have a child here without the knowledge of the authorities! It’s against the law!” Tony said gesturing with his hands, more frustrated than he was showing. 

The truth was that Tony was worry about Hope. He knew that something deeper and more dangerous was happening to her. But he was afraid. He already did that mistake in the past. He couldn’t do it again. At least, that was what he has saying to himself.

“For all the God’s, Stark! If we tell anything. she’ll run away like she already tried! Just Odin knows where she’ll be and if she’ll eat or if she’ll be cold and completely unprotected!” Loki said, showing his anger. “We both know that something it’s going on if this kid, and if something happened to her…” Loki passed the hands in his longs hair without complete the sentence. 

Tony narrowed his eyes. Loki wasn’t someone that couldn’t finish things. 

“Why do you care so much, Loki?” Tony asked. 

Loki looked away, his lips forming a hard line, as if this would stop the words from coming out. 

“She reminds me of my mother. That’s all. Something in this child’s eyes make me remember of the kind eyes of my mother.” 

Tony nodded, knowing the history behind that. One part of the hero was struck by the attitude of the god of mischief. Loki didn’t let himself be vandalized, and now he was letting Tony see him like that, by Hope. Tony couldn’t help but wonder why.

“She needs our protection, Tony. You saw the files, apparently, she don’t have no one. She’s scared, hurt. She’s just a kid, we don’t even know what kind of hell she’s been through. And I know you care about her, if you didn’t you had already called them. You’re intrigued by this child the same way you does for Peter. So, you prefer she here, where we can keep our eyes on her, or in somewhere, in danger, running away?” Loki said only in a whisper. 

Tony looked down. Loki was right. There was something about Hope that Tony's interest. The way innocent and scared, the way that her eyes screamed “save me” reminded Tony of himself. 

“Just a little of time, Stark. Just until she talk to us.” Loki continued. “You know she’s innocent. You know that she’s a… little angel…”

They didn’t spoked for a few minutes, Loki letting Tony make up his mind. 

“Alright.” Tony looked up to him with a determined expression. “She can stay. Just until she talk to us.”

Loki let go a breath that he didn’t knew he was holding, and relaxed. 

“Go talk to her. She still thinks that you don’t want her here.” 

Tony looked at him, almost annoyed, and then started to walk toward the door. One drink it’s all that he wanted now, but he knew that he had to be sober to do that. 

Tony walked fast to the madlab to find Hope sat on the bad, looking at the big city in front of her and leaned against the door with his arms crossed. 

“I’ve heard that you tried to escape.” 

Hope didn’t looked at him, just kept looking to the city. 

“You don’t want to call people to you. Why?” 

Still didn’t looked at him. 

“What? You won’t even look at me?” 

Hope turn her face to him, with cold eyes. 

_ You don’t want me here.  _

Tony sighed and walked to her, grabbing a chair to sat in front of her. 

“Look, kid. It’s not that I don’t want you here or anything. It’s just I think that qualified people would be better to help you. But, if you don’t want that, you can stay here… for a short period of time. You’ll have food, a room and… All that stuff.” He gesticulate with the hands as spoked. 

Tony thought that the news would bring a smile or a least a reaction from the girl, but when he looked at her, she still looked like a scared puppy. Tony’s heart tightened a little. 

“Listen, Hope. I won’t make you stay here, but… I’m worried, kid. I know I don’t have the right to be, and I’m sorry. But… You have the same age as Peter and he’s like a son to me. See you running… Scared… Unable to have food and, fun, and all things that a kid should have, breaks me. So, it’s your choice but… Stay, please. You gonna have food and home, at least for now. Please…”

One more time, Hope looked at Tony’s eyes one more time and it was like the other time. Tony wasn’t evil, just broken and scared, just like Hope was. Broken people recognize one another. And, for the second time that day, the thought that maybe that was just the desire of having someone, be somebody someone, have a family again and feel save. Maybe that was just lies. Maybe was just another mistake.

But Hope didn’t cared at the moment. She was tired and he was offering a bed, she was starving and he was offering food. She was scared and he was offering protection. 

Still looking at Tony’s eyes, she nodded slightly, a little bit unsure. The action caught Tony of guard. 

“You want to stay? Really?” She nodded again. “Okay, okay, good!” He got up and she followed him with the eyes. “Oh, we just have to do something Hope. We have to introduce you to the team.” 

Hope’s eyes goes wide and Tony saw a trace of fear pass through them again.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He kneed to look at her. “Hope, we’re the good guys. We’ll not hurt you, I promised you, right? Trust me. I can imagine that it’s not easy, but you have to try. I have to do this because my folks would find weird have a unknown girl in our home, do you understand?”

Still unsure, she nodded and looked away. 

Tony nodded too and still looking at her. 

"Friday, have the team meet in the Conference Room. I have a person to introduce to them."

 

The room was already full of people. The all time was there and whispers filled the place. 

“What do you think Tony have to tell us?” Wanda asked. 

“It seems important.” Black Widow responded. 

Steve and Sam looked at each other as Bucky seemed lost in thoughts. 

“Do you know anything Peter?” Clint asked, but Peter refused to say a word. 

Tony showed up minutes later clapping to call attention to him. Seconds later, the room went to silence. Tony looked at his friends for a moment: 

“Okay, let’s gonna end up this fast. I have someone to introduce you.”

“It’s something about the govern? I wasn’t informed of anything.” Vision said. 

“No, no. That’s nothing to do with that. You guys can relax.” Tony assured, and almost immediately a tension in the room faded away. “Hope?” Tony called her. 

A small silhouette appeared in the door, slowly  and timidly and stopped beside Tony. “Guys, this is Hope. She’s going to stay with us for a while.” 

The room was filled with a awkward silence. 

“This… This girl is your daughter, Tony?” Bruce asked, pointing to the girl with red cheeks. 

“No… Actually…” 

Tony explained everything that happened in the last hour to them, as The Avengers didn’t know what to think. 

“And don’t mind in ask her questions. She don’t say anything.” Tony finished. 

“Do you know what you’re doing Tony?” Steve asked, seriously. 

“Cap, Ms. Jones needs our help. Our job is help people. In other words. Yes, I know what I’m doing.”

“Can I talk to you in private? Steve asked.

Tony looked at him almost rolling his eyes but moved toward Capitan, but Hope desperate action asked to him don’t leave her. 

Tony looked back at her and looked at the girl in the eyes. 

“The good guys. Remember?” 

Hope looked at him and nodded, trusting him. She watched Tony leave and talk to a worried Capitan.

The Avengers kept looking at her, in a strange silence, Peter was the first to move her. 

“Hope, glad you gonna stay with us!” The puppy eyes made her relax.  

“Hey, little one, I told you that I would do it, didn’t I?” Loki approached her, with a smile. 

“Hey, kid. Welcome to our home.” Clint greeted her. 

Hope nodded and accepted everyone welcomed, but Bucky stayed behind. 

He was sure that he’d heard of Hope.  


	5. Human Touch

Hope was just sitting at the dinner table with the Avengers, just watching, as she always does. She still could not believe what happened in less than 24 hours.

She finally escapes the clutches of Arthur and Elizabeth, is found by Loki, who is literally a god, ends up in the house of the most powerful heroes on Earth. To live. To ... Have a family? What was Hope's role there? What did she have to do? Why did they let her stay? A thousand questions ran through her head as she sat watching the heroes spread out in a group of conversations.

Suddenly, a thought struck Hope as she stared at the plate of food in front of her. She was no longer alone. Since Hope could remember, she's always been alone. Even when she had Tracy, it was always just Tracy and her. When Tracy died, or rather, when she was killed, Hope really had no one else in the world. Well, no one who really cared about her. At dinnertime, when they let her eat, she had two options: dinner in the tiny room that gave her or sat at the table with their accusing and fierce stares. She preferred the room, with her loneliness sad, but safe.

But now she was with several people, people she admired but still didn't trust. Needless to say, she found the new environment, at least, stifling and noisy.

"Aren't you going to eat? You need to eat." Tony said looking at the plate. "You look like you don't eat for days." 

_It doesn't look, it is._

Hope looks at him and then at the food.

"Hope, there is no poison there. You can eat." He rolled his eyes and took a bite of food. "Look, if you eat, we can eat ice cream." he offered, propping his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together as if negotiating.

Hope narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? It is true! There's ice cream in the fridge. Happy bought it earlier." He said, almost smiling.

Hope couldn't remember the last time she ate ice cream. The sweet taste filled her imagination. She looked at the plate and settled into the chair, clutching her fork awkwardly and placing a piece in her mouth. Tony smiled victoriously and went back to eating, looking around the table. Tony saw Steve looking at him, then looked away.

Things were tense between them. Even after Thanos, even after half of the universe died and even after Tony had forgiven Bucky, things were still strange. Tony couldn't longer look at his friend in the same way, and so did Steve. The Civil War had left wounds that Tony thought no measure of time would be able to heal.

One by one they left the dining table and went to their respective places, while Tony, Hope and Peter were left behind. Hope for not knowing what to do, Tony to watch her and Peter to keep them company.

"Peter! We're going to play a game of Mario Kart! Do you want to come? "Sam shouted in the distance. Peter's face lights up.

"I'm going!" He shouts back. "Hope you want to come?" He asked with a friendly smile.

Hope shook her head slowly, declining the offer. Peter gave a sad look.

Peter strode out of the room and only Tony remained. He looked around, not quite knowing what to say. Lucky for him, the cell phone rang.

"I'll be right back. Do not get out of here. "He stands up and heads toward the exit.

Hope watches him leave and then puts his head on the table. As she looks around the room, another thought hits her.

What if he wants me here as a maid?

Hope raises her head with wide eyes, looking for something to clean.

She moves quickly around the table picking up the dirty dishes and taking them to the sink, and then starts to wash them.

You better do it right.

"You do not have to do that, Miss Jones." Friday's robotic voice hits Hope's ears.

What a weird thing.

"We have people to do that." Friday continued. Hope rolled her eyes.

I'm one of those people, AI weird.

"What are you doing?" Tony's voice grips Hope completely unnoticed, and she almost breaks the plate she was holding. "Sorry." He puts his cell phone in his pocket and approaches. "What are you doing?" He repeated, pointing to the dishes in the sink.

Hope looked at him confused and Tony returned his gaze.

"Did you know we have a dishwasher? And another, you do not have to do that. We have people who do that. "

Am I not one of these people?

Tony stares at her again, and then a shocked expression runs across his face.

"Wait a second! Do you think you're here as a maid or something? "

I'm not?

Hope's confused look only confirmed Tony's accusations.

"Oh my God!" Tony covered his eyes with his hands as he took a few steps back and forth.

Oh no. Did i do something wrong.

Hope dries her hands carefully and walks away from the sink, placing her hands behind her back and looking down at the floor.

Tony discovers his eyes and looks at the girl who is in a stiff pose, as if she were inferior. He knew it would not be good to yell at her. It would bring the opposite effect of what he wanted. He needed the girl to trust him, so he forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Hope, look at me," Tony said in a gentle voice.

Hope lifted her head slowly, still not looking at him, afraid of the impact that was to come. But, of course it did not come. Tony pretended not to notice how the girl flinched in fear.

"You're not here as a maid. You are not here to serve. You're here as a guest. I thought we'd made that clear. Look at me, please. "

Hope looked into his eyes, still waiting for the impact.

"You do not have to do anything to me. Or any of us. "Hope glares at him, eyes flickering, blinking to keep the tears from falling.

I'm not an object here.

Tony pretends not to notice the girl's emotion again and looks away.

"By the way, Pepper, my fiancee, if you do not know, you're getting home. She'd love to meet you. "

Hope's blood runs cold, this time not out of fear but out of nervousness.

Hope admired Tony's fiancé more than anyone else. The independent, decisive, confident way of being inspired by Hope. It was the example the child wanted to follow when he grew up. There was not a moment on that crazy day that passed through Hope's head that she'd meet Pepper Potts so far.

Tony sees Hope's behavior abruptly change, but he did not see the familiar fear in the girl's eyes, he saw ... Admiration?

"You're going to love meeting her." He gave a half smile, then cleared his throat and looked away. "Anyway, kid. I have some things to do in my office. You can have Peter for now. "

He looked at her to see if she was okay with it, and she nodded.

"Great. I'll see you later. "He walked out the door and Hope followed Peter.

Some time passed while they played Mario Kart, and until then Tony had not come back, and that was making Hope nervous.

Hope was walking to Tony's office, the man was delaying and for some reason she could not understand, Hope was anxious when she was not around him and under his protection.

"Where's the girl?" Hope heard Captain America's voice as she approached.

"With Peter," Tony replied.

Hope stopped in the middle of the hall, not wanting to disturb their conversation.

"You know this is wrong. And against the law, do not you know? "

"You did not look so concerned about the law last time," Tony said, unable to contain himself.

"You know full well that it's two completely different things!" Steve says, raising his voice. "I'm just trying to put a little bit of judgment in your metal head!"

They were silent for a moment. Hope knew, even without being there, that their war would never end.

"I'm going to let you stay, Captain. No matter what you say, "Tony says, looking hurt. Hope can not avoid the pang of joy in her heart by hearing someone defend her.

Soon after a minute, Hope hears Steve leave the room, and then hides behind a vase. For her luck, it goes in the opposite direction.

Hope does not want to spy or intrude. It's wrong, and she knows it. But she can not help it. Hope looked out the door and saw Tony take a long, exhausted breath, throwing himself on the couch and putting his hands on his head.

Tony thought that after what happened on Titan, things between them would change and be solved. Their relationship was complicated at first, but Steve was one of Tony's best friends. Tony missed him, and how they all were before things fell apart.

Hope's heart squeezed as she saw the man who offered her protection and care looked so broken.

Broken people recognize other broken people.

Slowly, she entered the room, unnoticed by him. She reached out and then hesitated.

Human Touch. We need the touch of the people we love the way we need to breathe. Hope did not know this until she could no longer have it.

After she moved in with Arthur, Hope had never been hugged or had a touch of affection. Every time they approached, it was to punish her.

But here she was, with her hand extended to the man who had only helped her up until now. The man who was just as broken as she was.

A knot forms in Hope's throat, but she ignores the fear, ignores the memories and touches the man's hair, very lightly.

Tony looks up when he feels the touch of small hands in his hair, being surprised when he saw that it was Hope, and that she was trying to comfort him.

When he moved, Hope moved quickly away, afraid she'd done something wrong. But when she saw a single tear fall from Iron Man's eyes and she could see all the pain he was holding, she felt all the fear disappear and the urge to take away all the pain of the man who only helped her. She stretches out her hands again and wipes his eyes with care and delicacy.

Tony watches the girl's gestures completely speechless. He knew she did not like being touched, and suspected she had some trauma from it. But here she was, touching him, consoling him. Trusting him. When Hope wiped away Tony's forgotten tear, he felt the pain in his heart subside, and all he could think was how Hope was struggling to trust him.

For a moment, her eyes looked like Pepper's gentle eyes.

Slowly and still hesitantly, Hope moves closer to Tony and puts her arms around the man's shoulders. Hope tried to remember how safe and protective Tracy's embrace was and tried her best not to focus on the memories of being hurt every time she was touched in those years. The living image of Tracy embracing her protectively and affectionately fills the memories of Hope. The smell, the sense of security, the way her mother's soft, delicate hands slid over Hope's back as she said softly, as if it were a secret. I love you.

The girl's action makes Tony's eyes widen. First why he did not expect this from her, and second, why he himself had no human contact with anyone but Pepper for a long, long time. Of course, he had Rhody and Banner, but Tony Stark was not a man of hugs and feelings. For a brief moment, Tony did not know what to do.

Tony blinked a few times and cleared his throat.

"Is it okay if I hug you too?" He asked, his voice almost failing.

Hope swallowed, but Tracy's memories were still there, so she just nodded.

_He will not hurt you. He's already proven it._

Human touch. We need them the way we need to breathe.

Tony slowly wrapped his arms around her small waist. Only then did he realize how small and fragile that little girl seemed to be. Hope seemed to be able to break at any moment. Tony closed his eyes and felt more tears spring from the corner of his eyes. Hope imitated him, leaving all hesitation and fear behind.

Human touch. We need to touch the people we love the way we need to breathe. And, Hope found out again, it's good.

 They stayed like that for a few moments, Hope mimicking what Tracy had done to her so many times, and feeling good with Tony's arms around her. She felt safe and protected. The feeling Tony made was strangely similar to Tracy's.

They broke up shortly after, Tony still amazed at Hope's action.

"Thank you, Kid."

Hope just gives a warm smile, and Tony clears his throat. Soon after, his cell vibrates with a new message. He reads the message quickly and opens a smile.

"Pepper's coming. I'll pick her up at the airport. Want to come?"

Exit = More chances to get caught. No thank you.

Hope nods slightly, and Tony nods.

"Will you be all right here alone?"

The good guys, right?

She nods and Tony smiles relieved.

"Great. I'll be back in ... "He glanced at his watch. "30 minutes."

Hope nods again and follows him into the living room.

"I'll be back soon, kid. You're safe here, "he assures her again, while Hope just nods.

She knew she was taking a chance here. She knew she was letting the guard down, that she was relying on and depending on more. But at this point, she could not help it. She had not felt this good since before her mother was alive. Hope just hoped she would not regret it.

The distant familiar music caught Hope's attention, making her stop. Memories immediately invaded Hope's head.

_She tiptoed into the room, taking advantage of the fact that the cleaning had been done earlier and they were both upstairs, with too much hangover to bother with anything she was going to do. But even so, she still had to be careful. If Elizabeth took the CDs, she would break them, so Hope would be without a little bit more than it reminded her of her golden childhood and what she made of herself._

_Hope goes to the old television and puts the CD to spin, turning the volume almost mute, enough for only she can hear._

_Noises of applause begin to echo, as Tracy enters the stage and steps into position. Hope smiled at the image of her mother where she was happy and doing what she liked best._

_Hope touched her mother's face across the television screen, wondering if Tracy imagined that everything that happened to her would happen._

_"I miss you, Mommy," she whispered before she stood up and danced with Tracy._

When Hope returns to reality, she finds herself standing in a room, where the music is coming from, somehow, she was drawn to familiar, welcoming music.

She peeks through the glass door, where she sees the Black Widow dancing gracefully, in her high-heeled slippers a number from Swan Lake. Hope is impressed. Natasha is extremely good. Tracy would be equally impressed.

Years as Natasha's agent made her realize she was being watched, as she glanced at the door, saw Hope's eyes widen and her head turned to the wall. Natasha smirked and headed for the door. She opened the door and saw Hope leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.

"Hi." She panted, and Hope opened her eyes quickly and took a few steps back. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not angry. "Hope clasped her hands, still unsure. "Do you want to come in and watch?" She asked, pointing to the living room. She sees Hope's eyes dim, but she was still careful. "Come on. I will not hurt you, "she assures, giving the girl room to enter.

Hope still with her hands together walks slowly toward the living room. As she walks in, Nat closes the door, and Hope's desperate eyes warn her that she does not want it.

"You do not want me to lock up?" Hope shook her head frantically. "Alright, no problem," she assured him and then left the door open. "Is that better?" Hope nodded in relief.

Nat moved to the center of the room again as Hope sat on the floor in a corner.

"Do you know Swan Lake?" Nat asked.

Hope smiled and nodded.

Natasha looked at her in surprise, then turned back to the dance.

"Friday, play."

The opening music begins, the soft flutes fill the room while Nat moves with grace and lightness.

Hope can not control herself. Every fiber in her body begs her to let the music guide her. Every known beat begs her to get up and do what she does best. So that's what she does.

Hope gets up and then in a perfect rhythm and rehearsed, she begins to accompany Nat around the room. The footsteps flowing easily, she seemed to be gaining wings and could finally fly. In the middle of the dance, Hope forgets everything and lets herself go. She leaves her feet and the steps she knows by heart take care of her body and mind, she can finally dance freely. She need not be afraid here.

The music comes to an end, Nat and Hope stop in the same position in harmony.

"Hope ... I did not know you could dance like that. You're very good. "Nat praises.

Hope can not help the smile that crosses her face. She felt free.

"Did you learn from your mother?" Nat asked.

Hope smiled and nodded.

Natasha looked at her in surprise, then turned back to the dance.

"Friday, play."

The opening music begins, the soft flutes fill the room while Nat moves with grace and lightness.

Hope can not control herself. Every fiber in her body begs her to let the music guide her. Every known beat begs her to get up and do what she does best. So that's what she does.

Hope gets up and then in a perfect rhythm and rehearsed, she begins to accompany Nat around the room. The footsteps flowing easily, she seemed to be gaining wings and could finally fly. In the middle of the dance, Hope forgets everything and lets herself go. She leaves her feet and the steps she knows by heart take care of her body and mind, she can finally dance freely. She need not be afraid here.

The music comes to an end, Nat and Hope stop in the same position in harmony.

"Hope ... I did not know you could dance like that. You're very good. "Nat praises.

Hope can not help the smile that crosses her face. She felt free.

"Did you learn from your mother?" Nat asked.

A confused look runs across Hope's face, and Natasha smiles.

"SHIELD Database," she explains.

Hope rests on understanding, and then on the shoulder.

"She would be proud," Nat says.

Hope stares at her for a moment. Black Widow did not even know Tracy, but Hope did not care. It was true.

She would be.

"Anyway, do you want to continue?" Nat asked, drinking some water. Hope gave a childish, settled smile.

The next song begins and the same sense of freedom invades Hope and Nat just accompanies it.

Meanwhile, Tony parks the car at the entrance to the Avengers and gets out of the car.

"I felt compelled to help her, Pep."

"Well, that's new. You rarely feel this obligation. "Pepper plays and Tony grimaces. "But you said she did not talk?"

"IS. That. I think there's something about trauma. "Tony stops. The same irritating and unknown grip on your heart.

"And she does not like to be touched, either," Pepper repeated.

"That." Tony nodded. "Friday, where's Hope?"

"In the dance room with Natasha, Chief."

"Na ... dance hall?" Tony frowned.

"Tony, Tony." Pepper stops walking and looks at him. "I ... I really admire your willingness to help this girl. I do. But I need to make sure you're sure of what you're doing. It's a big responsibility Tony- "

Tony takes her hands and looks into her eyes.

"I know what I'm doing, Pep. And she will not stay here forever. It's only until she feels more relaxed and speaks to us. Only until she ... Be safe. "

Pepper looks at him and smiles. She's never seen him talk like this, who knows, that might be good.

"It's all right. Let's get to know her, "Pepper said, shaking his hands.

"Friday, the room I asked you for is ready?" He asked, smiling.

"Yes, boss. And it's on the same floor as yours, "Friday replied.

"Great. Come on."

They walked to the dance floor, the music already reaching Tony's ears, which he recognized immediately. Swans's Lake. Maria played the piano when he was a child.

They approached the door, not wanting to disturb the dance. Tony looked at the room through the glass and that's when he saw Hope.

Hope was dancing and smiling. She was dancing like she knew exactly what to do. The soft movements filled her body and she seemed to be on another frequency that only she knew existed. The sight was incredible. Hope carried no more fear or insecurity. It was just her and the dance.

Tony finds himself smiling and delighted at the girl's movements. He's never been much of a fan of Ballet, but he sees Hope dancing like that ... It was something else.

The dance comes to an end, and Hope stops gracefully, making jus the fine art.

Tony enters the room clapping his hands and smiling broadly. Hope's cheeks turn red instantly.

"Wow ... You're amazing dancing, Hope." Tony said.

Hope smiled sheepishly.

"She just started dancing with me. She knows all the choreographies, Tony. "Nat says, unable to hold the surprise.

"You're really good, Hope," Pepper commented, speaking for the first time.

Every color leaves Hope's face. Pepper Potts was talking to her. "His ability is incredible."

Hope tries to smile but looks more like a face.

"I think she likes you. Pep. Everyone she's met so far has tried to attack. "Tony jokes and Hope rolls his eyes.

"Well, Pepper, this is Hope. Hope this is Pepper. My bride. "Stark introduced them.

"It's good to meet you, Hope. I hope you like it here, "she says, with kind eyes. All Hope can do is nod slightly, and Tony holds a chuckle.

"The game is very good, children, but the real child here needs to sleep. It's late. "Tony announces looking at Hope. Pepper and Nat exchanged funny looks and looked at Tony, who totally ignored him. "Come on, kid. I'll show you to your room. "

Tony points to the door and Hope starts walking there, instead looks at Pepper and Nat, and then follows the path. Tony starts to walk beside her.

"Was it okay while I left?" Tony asked and she nodded. "You dance very well Hope. Have you taken lessons? "Hope shook her head and Tony nodded.

After that, they walked to the elevator in silence and walked to the door of the room.

"Look, this one is mine. If you need anything, you can come and call me. Okay? Promise? "Stark asked. Hope nodded. "This is your room." Stark opened the door to his room and Hope entered.

She lost her breath as she entered. It was twice as big as any room she'd ever seen, and it was "hers." There were books in a bookcase near the bed, a room only for the clothes and various technological things that Hope did not understand and was afraid to touch.

Hope headed toward the closet and was surprised when she realized that the clothes were the size of her. She looked at him in shock.

"Friday had you buy it after you decided to stay." He answered the silent question. "And look. Tony took a small watch from his pocket and handed it to her. Tony gave a confused look. "It's a watch that has access to Friday in it."

"Hello, Ms. Jones." Friday nodded and Hope's eyes widened at the holograms on the clock.

"You can tell her what you want in the options, since you do not talk. Also has a panic button. If you need, just need to squeeze any of us will come. "

Tony watches the girl who was still shocked and smiles.

"Did you like it?"

Hope looks around and then smiles, nodding.

_Thank you very much, Mr. Stark. This is more than I've ever had in my life._

Tony smiles.

"Great. Now go take a shower and bed. You need to rest. If you need anything, I'll be in the next room. "

Tony looked at Hope for the last time, then closed the door behind him.

Hope took some time to get out of the place, still examining the immense place that was supposed to be hers. She went to the clothes and asked Friday by the clock where the nightclothes were. Friday showed them and she headed toward the bathroom.

She took a long shower, delighting in the warm water and the products that were at her disposal.

Then she goes to bed and plays there. The bed is softer than anything that Hope has lain on. She wraps herself in the warm blankets and stared at the ceiling, still not believing everything that had happened in just one day. Her last thought before falling asleep was that the next day would be Christmas. Maybe by Christmas that year she would not cry and be alone. 


	6. Christmas Night

_ Jingle bells, jingle bells / Jingle all the way, / Oh what fun it is to ride  / In a one-horse open sleigh _

_ “Merry Christmas, my love.”  _ _ Tracy's sweet smile lit up her face as she held a box of ribbon in her hands. _

_ Jingle bells, jingle bells / Jingle all the way, / Oh what fun it is to ride  / In a one-horse open sleigh _

_ You held the box with a wondering smile, giving her a tight hug. _

_ “Thank you, mom. Merry christmas.”  _

_ Tracy kisses Hope's hair gently. _

_ “I love you, little one.” _

Jingle bells, jingle bells / Jingle all the way, / Oh what fun it is to ride  / In a one-horse open sleigh

"Good morning, Miss Jones! Merry Christmas!"

Hope opened her eyes to the sound of Jingle bells playing as Friday greeted her. It took her a while to recognize where she was, but the events of the day before quickly came to the surface.

_ I'm ... In the Avengers Tower? ...? _

Only then Hope sue Friday's words. She glanced at the clock, which had taken on a Christmas theme with holograms of snow falling off the screen.

_ Today is Christmas. _

A lump formed in Hope's throat as she remembered the dream. The dream so real and beautiful ... A dream that she wanted to be real more than anything. She take her knees to her chest and rested her head, allowing some tears to fall.

Hope stayed a few minutes like that, letting the memories of her golden childhood fill the memories. Every time Tracy woke up to Hope with a kiss, and all the happy Christmas dinners they had. All the golden childhood that Hope lost.

_ Merry Christmas, Mom. _

She closed her eyes and wiped away her tears. Hope glanced at the watch once more and touched the name "Tony." On the screen, he showed the Avengers tower and a red dot indicating that he was in the dining room. Hope smiled. Was there something this man did not think?

Hope for the first time in years was not going to spend Christmas alone. For the first time in years she allowed herself a little hope.

Tony looked around the room with a smile on his face for the first time in a long time. Pepper was on his side and for some reason, Hope trusted him, and it was still Christmas, Maria’s favorite time.

"Are we having a party, Tony?" Rhodey asked sitting next to him.

Tony looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I thought about doing something more reserved this year. Hope is here and she does not seem to get along with strangers. "

They all turned their heads and stared at him.

"Wow!" Sam teased.

"What?" Tony asked, confused.

"Tony Stark dismissing a party because of a kid. This is new. "

Pepper rolled his eyes. "Leave it, Sam. I think it's good of you to think about it, Tony. We do not need her to be scared of anything else.”

Pepper and Tony spent the night talking about the girl next door. She'd just seen Tony talking like that to a person: Peter. Pepper still did not understand very well how it had happened, after all the girl was there for only a day, but she suspected that there was something to do with how Hope's eyes shouted "save me," as Hope reminded him of himself. And to tell the truth, Pepper was also curious about her. She looked like such a sweet girl, how had she stopped in this mess?

“Oh, one more thing. Why don’t you buy something for her, Tony?” Pepper proposed 

Tony look up to her with a open mouth. 

“Did you think it’s a good ideia?” 

“Of course. Are not we going to exchange gifts tonight? Imagine how she would feel just watching. And… You can tell more than I do that she seems don’t have a good Christmas in years.” She said in one breath. 

Tony still seemed a little lost but begun to nod lightly. 

“Okay, yeah. You’re right. What… What can I get her?”

"I thought about Ballet sneakers. She danced so well yesterday." She said.

Tony looked away thinking. 

“Can you go with me Nat? I don’t understand anything about that at all.” 

Nat looked up from her plate and nodded. 

“Of course. My pleasure.”

"How did she learn? She said she'd never done any lessons." Pepper commented.

"The mother. Tracy was a dancer." Tony answered and Pepper sighed an 'ah'.

"Boss, Hope just woke up." Friday announced. "She's in distress right now, sir."

Tony's heart squeezed.

"Should I go there?" He asked Pepper, for guidance.

"Give her some time. It's Christmas and she's in an unknown place. It's scary to anyone." Pepper replied, looking thoughtful.

"Okay, you're right," he says, nodding more than necessary, looking lost one more time. Pepper had to hold a giggle to see her fiancee in a whole new field.

Tony waited just for ten minutes and then got up. 

“Okay, I’m going there.” He didn’t waited for a response, and starded to walking. 

“What’s up with him?” Wanda asked to Pepper, and suddenly, everyone was looking at her, curious about him. 

Pepper looked at the hall Tony was and smiles. 

“I guess she reminded him of himself. She don’t have anyone. Like him in her age.” 

“Do you think this is a good idea, Pepper?” Bruce asked, looking concerned. 

“I guess we’ll find out.”

 

Tony stopped in front of Hope’s room with a raised hand. But then gave up. 

“Friday, let her know that I’m here, please.” 

“Got it, boss.” Friday replied. 

Some seconds later, Hope opened the door with wet hair and a smile. 

“Good morning, sleep beauty. Are you hungry?” 

She nods. 

“Good! Let’s eat then.”

Hope close the door and start to walk beside him. But out of nowhere, she start to run. 

“Hope! Where you going?” He start to run too, confused and asking himself if he made something wrong. 

She stops in front of the big window with an amazed look. 

“Hope! You can’t just ran out like-” Tony interrupts himself when he sees the girl expression. 

_ Is snowing!  _

“You like snow?” He asked still looking at her. 

She nodded as look to the little flakes. 

“Me too. But I haven’t stopped and look for a couple years now, you know?” He says as he look to the window. New York was covered with white as kids played outside. 

“Do you wanna go outside?” He asked. 

Hope looked at him and shakes her head. 

“Okay, okay. Just checking.” He cleans his throat and looks away. “Come on. You have too eat.”

He walks away and after one last look to the snow she follows him. 

“Good morning, Hope” Pepper greets her and Hope smiles. 

“Sit here, kid.” Tony ponts to the chair at his side. Hope sits and look around. She look to her watch and click the name ‘Peter’.

“Boss, Hope want to know where Peter is.” Friday said and Hope cheeks turn red.

“He’s with May. He‘ll passing by later.” He informs drinking his juice. 

“Are you excited to christmas, Hope?” Clint asked;. 

She nods, smiling. 

“Are you ready to go, Tony?” Nat asked, getting up. 

“What? Right now? Oh, okay.” He stood up too and look at Hope. 

“I need to resolve something, kid. I’ll be back soon.”

_ Leave? Leave where? _

Hope grabs Tony hands and beg with the eyes to him not leave. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He knees in front of her, eyes soft. 

_ Please, don’t go.  _

“It’s okay, you won’t be alone. Pepper is gonna be with you.” 

Hope looked at Pepper who gave her a reassure smile but she turn back to Tony. 

“The good guys, remember?” He said in a soft way that caught everyone off guard. They only saw Tony like that with Peter and Peter, no with a girl he met now.

Still reluctant, Hope let go he hands and go back sit, looking down and sad. 

“Take care of her, would’ya?” Tony asks Pepper, who gives a smiles. 

“You gotta.” 

He nods and give her a kiss, walking away, following Natasha. 

“Hey, Hope.” Pepper calls the girl who looks up to her. “Do you wanna watch a movie? I can make some hot chocolate. What do you say?” 

“Can I come too?” Wanda asked, and Pepper gives her a smile. 

“If it’s okay with Hope?” 

Hope look at Wanda kinds eyes, and nods. 

“Great! You guys go ahead, I’ll make the hot chocolates.” Pepper said, getting up. 

“Can I go too, Hope?” Clint asked with expectation. 

She smiled and nods. She always was a fan of the  Hawkeye.

“I wanna go too, if that’s okay with the little one.” Loki said. 

“I never understood so much this movies.” Bucky said. 

“Hope, is that okay if everyone came watch with us?” Wanda asked. 

Hope looked at everyone for a minute and nodded. She wasn’t by herself anymore. 

Everyone smiles. 

“Let’s go, then!” Wanda smiles and takes her to the living room. 

 

It’s almost afternoon, and Tony wasn’t back yet, and though Hope was liking to be with them, she was worried about Tony. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. He’ll be back soon.” Pepper blinked to Hope and she let herself relax. 

_ He’ll be back soon. Nothing happened to him. Calm-  _

“What’s that? Movie night without me. How unfair!” Tony’s voice echoes in the room, Hope’s stood up at the moment and runs to be by his side. 

“Hey, kid” He smiled.” Come here, I have to talk with you.” 

Hope goes to the table, and before Tony go with her, he looks at Pepper who smiles and blinking to him. He smiles and goes sit with the kid. 

“Is everything alright?” He puts his hands together and puts them on the table

She nods, pulling her hands in her lap. 

“Okay, good. Now, I have something for you.” Hope frowns as he take a bag from the floor. “Today is Christmas Eve and we’ll celebrate here. Don’t worry, it won’t be a party, just us. But everybody is gonna be dress up and, you know, things like that.” 

Hope nodded, letting him continue. 

“So, as Nat and I was buying some stuff for tonight, I saw this dress and I thought about you.” 

Hope looked at the bag. She knew that mark, it was of those fancy and expensive stores. 

“Come on, take it.” 

She looked at him and raise her hand and take the bag. She opened and lose her breath. Hope grab the blue dress and look at him in shock. 

“It’s yours. Use tonight.” He said, examining her reaction. 

_ I can’t accept it. I can’t. It’s more than what I deserve. _

Hope look at him with sad eyes and put the dress on the table. 

“What? You don’t like it?” Tony asked, looking at the bag and then her with conflict eyes. 

_ I love it. But I can’t.  _

Tony studies the girl's behavior, seeing sad eyes and hands clasped together.

“Hope, it’s okay if you take it. I promise. It’s a gift. And everybody’s gonna be fancy. I don’t wanna you to be left behind.”

Hope look at the bag and then him. 

“It’s okay. I promise.” He reassure her again. 

One more time, she raises her hand and take the dress, wanting to believe what he’s saying. 

“Good.” He leans on the chair and gives a long sigh. “It's Christmas Eve, right? How you feel about that?” 

Hope looked away for a long time. The best way that she could describe was with a shrug.

“Yeah, kid… I gotcha.”

They stayed like that for a long time, just enjoying the other company and lost in their on histories. 

“Okay, kid. It's getting late. It's better you get ready.” 

Hope nod and got up, slowly like the day before but not so afraid, she puts her arms around him, and he do the same, with much more confidence than before. 

_ Thank you, Mr. Stark. _

“I gotcha, kiddo. Now, go.” 

She walks slowly to her room with the dress in her hands, holding the tears back. She got a dress. After all this years, she got something that was hers. She was no longer an object there. She was someone. She was a person. And they knew that. 

After some time, Hope was with the dress on it, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked like herself again. She looked like Hope. 

“Hope, A Senhorita Potts está aqui.” Friday says and Hope runs to open the door. 

When Pepper look at Hope she loses her breath and smiles. 

“Hope you're so beautiful! Look at you!” 

Hope smiles broadly. 

_ Thank you, Ms. Potts!  _

Pepper keep looking at Hope for a moment and then seems to remember why she was there. 

“Well, I was going to do makeup, and I was wondering if you wanna to me make yours. Not so much though. You're too young.” 

Hope took a step at side and gave room to Pepper come in. 

“Thank you!” She sat and pulled her things on the bed. 

The two of them got ready and looked to the mirror. 

“How do I look, Hope? Am I pretty?” 

_ Perfect.  _

She nods. 

“Look at us. We are alike.”

_ We are.  _

“Hope, Miss Potts, Mr. Stark is requesting the presence of the two in the party room.”

Pepper looks at Hope with a smile. 

“C'mon then!” 

They walk in silence and stops on the ladder that takes to the decorated room. 

Mr. Stark was in the room when he saw the girls, he heart stopped. 

Pepper was beautiful. More than he ever saw her and Hope didn't look like that kid from yesterday anymore. 

“Look at you. You're beautiful, Mrs. Stark.” Hey said as kisses her. 

“Hold your horses there, buddy. Not yet.” She smiled. 

“Soon. Soon.” He looked at Hope. “Hey, kid. You're… You look really good.” She smiles. 

At the moment, all that Tony wanted for life was buy something more to her and she her with that smile again.

As the party passed, Hope became more and more comfortable. She was safe. Protected. She felt... good.

They exchanged gifts and celebrated the holiday that people have with their families. For the first time in years, Hope felt part of something.

“Tony?” He heard Pepper call. “Look who fell asleep here.” She pointed to Hope as she slept peacefully on her shoulder.

Tony giggles and shakes his head. 

“Give me her. I'll put her in her room.” 

He takes her carefully in his arms, as her just seems to feel more comfortable there. 

He walks her to her room and puts her on the bed. 

With her like that, so peaceful, she really seems just a kid. A normal kid. A kid who wasn't a trauma that prevents she from talking. 

He takes a lock of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.

“Good night, kiddo.”

 

Hope wake up slowly, still with the dress on it. She sat up in the bed scratching the eyes. 

“Good morning, Hope. Sleep well?” Friday agrees her. “Boss asked you to open that box and tell him what you think.” 

_ What box? _

Just then Hope saw the decorated boxe in her bed. 

She almost runs to it. And when she open she saw new ballet shoes. She immediately felt tears coming up. 

Inside, she saw a card. 

_ “I know that you don't wanna leave the tower now, but think about it. I think you could use some lessons. T.S”  _

Hope smiled. 

Maybe. Maybe she could give it a shot. 

 

The man was furious. If that kid opened her mouth all was going down. 

“Calm down. From nothing serves to be like that.” 

“Calm down?  _ Calm down?!  _ How do you want me calm down?! That fucking kid can drown us all.” 

“She won't. You know that. She don't speak and besides-”

“Boss!” One of them entered the room running. 

“What did I tell you about enter in the room like that?!” 

All colour leaves the man's face. 

“I'm… I'm sorry, chief. But… you said that if we heard anything from the kid, tell you right away.” 

Arthur feels his blood runs cold with anger. 

“Do you know where she is?” 

“Yes. In the… in the avengers tower.” 


	7. 3... 2... 1... Happy New Year!

It had been a week since christmas and since Hope arrived in The Avengers Tower, and it was the best week of her life. Everyone treated her so well. She almost forgot of everything that happened before. Almost. 

Hope was looking at the sunset from her window. I new year was going to begun. A new year. To her was just another year without Tracy. Without her best friend. Another year that she was killed. 

Tracy loved sunsets. She always said that it was when the magic happened. Magic. It was she believed. And for Hope’s surprise, she was starting to believe too. 

Hope heard a knock on the door, and wiped the unnoticed tears from her face. 

“Kid?” She heard Mr. Stark voice. “Can I come in?” 

Hope runs to the door and opened to him. 

“Hey.” She gave him room to enter and sat on the bed. He was there looking at her, examining. “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet today. Almost didn’t ate anything and is in your room all day. What’s going on?” He sat besides her, seeing her sad eyes. 

_ I’m not gonna cry. I’m not gonna cry. I’m not gonna cry.  _

She raised her watch, and a hologram with a artigo online said: “Famous ballet dancer is killed.” The date was down below. Tony closed his eyes and tightly. 

“It’s today?” He asked, pain in all over his voice. 

Hope low her head, feeling the tears almost there. 

“Oh, God, Hope. I’m so sorry.” He looked at her, wanting to take all pain from her. Didn’t her suffer enough already? “It’s okay if I give you a hug?” 

She nodded, and he crossed his arms around her protective. When Hope started to sob, Tony breaked. 

“Oh, baby girl… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Tony let her cry and just stayed there, giving her support, like he wanted somebody had made to him. 

She cried like never let herself cry. Like she was never allowed to cry before. She missed her mother so much, she missed her life. She missed all the afternoons that the two of them just sat in the couch in watched a bunch of movies. She missed her best friend. 

But surprisingly enough, Mr. Stark arms was a good place to cry. Warm and cozy. Protective, like he promised. 

Hope didn’t know how long they stayed there. All she know, it’s that, at some point, the hurt and pain wasn’t so cushing. The hurt was still there, but it wasn’t so overwhelming anymore. 

When the sobs wasn’t so strongs, Tony push her just enough to look at her. 

“I’m here with you. You’re not alone anymore. Okay?” 

Tony didn’t know if it was the right thing to say. Besides, the girl wouldn’t be there much longer, and he knew that he was already attached to her. But in that moment, he didn’t cared about none of it. He just wanted her feel better. He was just saying what he wanted to hear when he was in her place. 

_ Okay. I believe in you. _

She nods and wipe some tears. 

“Good.” He smiles and wipe some others tears. “Now, we could play some Mario Kart. What do you say?” 

Hope smiles and nods. 

She was really happy to have found Mr. Stark.

 

Tony decided not do anything too big for New Year. Although Hope seemed to like it, he recognized that the girl deserved a little rest, after all she wasn’t familiarize to anything of that. 

So things were just like that. They got together and sat on the big table. 

“I can’t believe that we’re gonna to another year.” Rhody said, shaking his head. 

“Yeah, man. Time flows by.” Sam sat on the chair, looking tired. 

Bucky approached Hope, and sat besides her. 

“How you doin’ kiddo? You seemed distant today.” 

Bucky and Hope go really closed on the passed days. The quiet ways on the both of them got them closed. And Bucky seemed really worried about her. 

Hope strugs and show her watch. 

Bucky eyes go wide for a moment. 

“I’m sorry, kiddo. This must be hard.” He said, looking down. 

Hope grabs his hands and gives him a smile, he returns to her, looking proud. 

“You’re really strong kid, Hope.” 

_ Yeah, I’m brave, strong and broken at the same time.  _

“Alright folks, play attention in me, please.” Tony said, getting up. All faces was on him. “This year, we had many losts, many reasons to cry and be broken. But we also had reasons to joy. I’ve met some people who totally changed our ways to live, and also proposed the love of my life, and also, put my family back together.” Hope chuckles and some of them opened a smile. “But that’s what means be a family. Always accept one more, have our fights but in the end, be back together. I’m really proud of us. I… really hope next year be even better.” 

Some of them clapped and opened smiles even bigger. 

Hope looked at them, and for a moment, everything was in slow motion. 

For a long, long time, Hope didn’t know what was the meaning of family. But looking at them, she started to understand again. She started to feel more and more part of there. Part of something bigger. 

Tony sat down again and kisses Pepper, drinking his juice. It was almost midnight, and Hope didn’t feel hopeless. She feel complete. 

“Kid, come here. I wanna show you something. Grab your coat. Is cold.” He didn’t expected an answer, and got up. She frowns and grabs her coat, following him. 

_ Did I did something wrong? _

He walks to the elevator and asks Friday to take them to the roofing. When the elevator stopped, he didn’t opened the door. 

“Okay, now, you close your eyes.”

Hope narrow her eyes to him. 

“Come on, kid. Don’t you trust me?” He smiles. 

She slowly close her eyes and feel he grabs her hand and start to walk forward. They gives somes steps then stops. 

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.” 

Open do só, and one more time, she loses her breath. They were in the top of the tower, all city toward them. blinkers of all colours illuminated the place.

She brings her hands to her mouth. 

“I figured that we could watch the fireworks here. Pepper and Peter are coming too.” 

She looked at him with grateful eyes. 

“Here, let’s sit.” He picks up the blankets and puts them on the floor. She sat there and look at the sky. The stars seemed to brighter more up there. 

“Do you see that constellation?” He points to two sets of stars that seem to complete. “We call them Big Dipper. You know the story behind in mythology?” He asked, looking at her.

She looked at him and shake her head.  

“Well..” He looked back to the sky “Callisto was the daughter of the King of Arcadia, a young woman of indescribable beauty, which aroused Zeus's interest. Despite her delicacy, she was strong and brave, famous for being a beast hunter. Knowing the husband's passion for the maiden, Hera becomes jealous and turns her into a bear. Calisto then goes on to experience the situations of a new world, since it stops being a hunter and happens to be the hunt. Some time later he came upon a hunter and recognized him; his son Arcas. Callisto couldn’t resist the memories and went to him to embrace him. Sensing the tragedy that was about to happen, Zeus intervened and transformed Callisto into the constellation of the Big Dipper and his Son in the Little Dipper, placing them in the sky, to be always together.”

Hope see a bit of sadness in Tony, as he tell the tales. 

“I always found myself very attractive to this story. The family who was separate, but end up together in the last.”

Hope pulls a lock of hair from her face as she continues to stare at him, and he continues to stare up at the sky.

“My mom always told me this when I was younger.” He looks down. 

Hope come closes to him and puts her head in his shoulder. 

“Thanks, kiddo.” 

They stay like that for a long time, just lost in thoughts. 

“Why don’t you speak, Hope? There’s must be a reason.” He asks, looking at her. 

She looks down and then forward. 

_ There’s a reason, Mr. Stark.  _

_ "Is this where I'm going to sleep?" Hope asked in a whisper as she entered the small cabin under the stairs. "It looks like Harry's room on the first-" Hope's words were interrupted by a strong slap that suddenly hit her face, making the marks of the four fingers of Elizabeth fix on Hope's pale face. _

_ Hope looks at her, completely missing the words, her eyes already filling with tears of anger and humiliation. _

_ "Why-" Hope stopped suddenly and cringed as she raised her hand again. _

_ "Look here, ma'am. I think you'd better stop being an ungrateful bitch and thanks us for taking the time to welcome you here in our house. " _

_ "This is not your mother's house anymore. Here the rules are different, and we are the ones who rule. Got it?" Arthur says, spitting venom on every word. _

_ Hope didn’t know if it was to speak or understand or just nod. Afraid to take another slap she just nodded and they seemed satisfied with it. _

_ "Great! As punishment, you're going to stay here all day and if, and only if you behave, you'll be able to eat with us," Elizabeth says with the air of arrogance and authority. _

_ They leave the small room and Hope is left alone, trying to quell the sobs and the pain she felt at the loss and longing of her mother, and the humiliation and anger she felt. _

“Hey.” Hope is pulled back into reality when Tony's worried eyes meet hers. “It’s okay. I know you don’t wanna talk, I just want you to know that I’m not going anywhere. You’ve got me right here, kiddo.” 

“Can we join?” Hope heard Pepper voice, and smiles. 

“Yeah, it’s not fair have the roof all to two.” Peter said, pretending to be angry. 

Hope rolled her eyes. 

“Come on, grab a blanket and sit with us. It’s almost midnight.  

Pepper and Peter grabbed a blanket and sat with them, side my side. 

“Are you okay, Hope?” Peter smiles. 

Hope seemed thoughtful and then smiled. Yeah, she was okay.

Tony put his arms around Pepper smiling, it was gonna be a good year. 

Hope seeing the gesture, puts Pepper’s arms around her. Pepper looks at Tony surprised and then smiled. Then, it was Peter’s turn. She pulled his arms around her. 

“Let’s count! Let’s count!” Peter said, excited. 

_ Five, four, three, two, one.  _

The ball drops and fireworks. Resolutions are made. People scream and kiss. But is possible to change? Is really truly possible to leave the past behind? 

Hope didn’t know, but she wanted to believe. She smiles, still watching the fireworks. 

_ Welcome, Midnight.  _


	8. Chapter Eight: Don't Take Her

"What are you doin' kiddo! That's not fair! Oh, look. Another one is gone." Tony complains when Hope buy one more property on Monopoly.

"Yeah, it is! I told you you wouldn't know tie my shoes without me." Pepper teased him as played.

"How's possible? Mr. Stark is billionaire in real life but in Monopoly he's poor." Peter laughed and Hope holds a chuckle.

That was the new normal to them. Mornings and breakfasts together, afternoons playing whatever they wanted and movies nights. Pepper and Peter was happy to see Tony happy, see how good was Hope to him. And Hope was happy too. She felt safe and protected. Part of a family.

"What are you guys doin'?" Bucky entered the room, as soon you hear his voice, you run and hugs him. "How you doing, kiddo? I have something for ya." He tells her, and she smiles. "Do you guys mind if a borrow her for a minute?" He ask for everybody but looking at Tony.

He looks at her and she nods and then he looks back at Bucky.

"Sure... We don't mind." He said a little unsure.

Bucky smiles to her and walks away.

Tony stares the door, like waiting her to come back, but she didn't.

"It's okay, Tony. She's not going anywhere." Pepper say to him with a smiles, and pat his arm.

"No, yeah, yeah, I know. I know." He says nodding. "Just... Want her to be safe."

"She'll be, Mr. Stark. Don't worry." Peter reassure him.

Tony stares door again. "I know."

Bucky and you walk slowly, he examining her. When them two came close to the windows, he stated to speak.

"So, Hope. I want to give you something. I know it's not Christmas anymore but" He smiles stopping and kneeling next to her. "I, uh... Back in 90's, I had a sister... And, before I went to war, she gave me something to keep me protected. You remember me of her. She was this... sweet angel, like you. And... I feel like, if I give it to you, it's like it'll be returning to her."

Hope looked at him still don't understanding what he wanted to do. He take out of his pocket a little bracelet and show it to her.

"This's for you, kiddo."

She open her mouth in surprise, this was from Bucky's sister and he was trusting her with it. She touch the object carefully and take it.

"Did you like it?" He ask, looking to her.

She don't respond, just throw herself on his arms, closing her eyes tightly, crossing hers small arms around his neck, he doesn't think twice and returns the squeeze, as he did with his sister.

"I can take that as 'yes'." He laughs and kisses her hair. "I'm glad you like it, little one."

The separate and Bucky put the bracelet in Hope's arms. "This will keep you protect, okay?"

Hope nods smiling. Now she had two things to remember her of two special persons to her, just missing Loki, who saved her.

"Hope, Mr. Stark needs you in the living room right now." Hope hears Friday from her watch and suddenly, her heart squeeze.

Why she had a feeling this wasn't good?

Tony was continuing to play Monopoly with Peter and Pepper when Friday told him the Social Service was there.

"Oh uh. This isn't good." Peter looked at Tony who had his eyebrows together in concern

"Pepper, call my lawyers, right now."

"On it." Pepper got up right away and left the room.

"Friday, tell them to wait on the living room." He got up too and Peter did the same.

"Mr. Stark... They'll, uh, Will they take Hope away from us?" Peter asked.

Tony continued with his eyebrows together, feeling his heart squeeze.

"I hope not Pete... I hope not."

Tony start to walk towards the living room with his heart palpitating on his chest, but he had to do what he do it every time. He had to put a brave face and resolve the problem.

Clothed guys with tedious faces were sitting on Tony's sofa. He knew those guys. It was the kind that didn't care who they were dealing with, they just wanted to finish their work.

"Good afternoon, gentlemens, can't say that is a good surprise tho." Tony says with sarcasm, Peter by his side with a serious face.

The man's got up when they saw Tony, and Tony could hear one of them saying 'here we go.'

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. My name is Lucas, this is Jeremy and Jimmy. We work to the Social Service, I guess you know why we're here already."

"Not a clue." Tony looked to the vase in front of him. "This vase is funny to you, Pete? It is to me. It was Pepper ideia."

"Of course it was, Mr. Stark. They always do." Peter played along and Tony's chest filled with proud

Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"We're here because we received an anonymous call stating that you had a girl here without the knowledge of the proper authorities and without the consent of the legal guardian, and I think you know that's against the law, Mr. Stark."

"Oh, you're talking about Hope?" Tony let go the vase and started to walk towards Lucas, with a angry face. "The girl who we find passing out in the street, all covered with bruises and scared to death? That one?"

"Well, Mr. Stark, I can guarantee you that we'll investigate this, but right now, the girl is by our jurisdiction." Jimmy sounded tired and bored.

"That's bullshit! You can't do this!" Peter said with fury all over his voice.

"We have to, kid."

"Tony." Pepper called him from the door.

Tony looked at her and then to them, he shakes his head and go to her.

"Tony, I talked with the lawyers, they're coming right away but..." She looked at her hands, biting her lips.

"But what, Pepper?"

"They said it was better you let them take her... It would look good to the jury if you really want to stay with her."

"Take her? To where?" Tony asked in horror. "To the person who did  _that_  to her?"

"No, no. God, no. They'll make a denunciation and them she'll to a foster family."

"Oh, God!" He bring his hands to his face.

"I know. I don't like this either but... There's no other way." Pepper touch his shoulder, making him look at her. "We'll bring her back."

He looked at her and pulled a brave face again.

"Yeah. We will."

He walks with her to them again, and Pepper never saw Tony so furious.

"We'll enter a provisional guard process." His voice seemed to be poised.

"Great, do that. Until there, she's coming with us." Lucas replied. "Where's the girl, Mr. Stark?"

"Mr. Stark what are you-" Peter started but Tony just shaked his head.

"Friday, tell Hope to come here." Tony said weakly.

They stayed in silence waiting for her, when Hope got closer, her heart started to beat fast looking to those man.

"Let me talk to her first." Tony asked.

"We don't have all day, Mr. Stark." Lucas said, looking to his watch.

"Like I care." Tony said walking to her. "Hey, kiddo. Um... Something's happened."

_Yeah... I notice._

"They... Figured by an anonymous call that you were here."

Hope's eyes goes wide in terror, and her breath started to go fast.

"Calm down, kid, please. Breathe slowly, okay?" He waited a little, until the girl was breathing almost normally again. "They... They'll have to take you."

_Take me? Take me to where?_

Hope can't help it but feel the tears starting to form, Tony had to look away for a moment.

"But you will not go back to where you live before. We'll enter with a denunciation and a provisional guard process and they'll probably take you to a foster care family. You will not be back there, okay? I won't leave you. Do you trust me?" Tony asked looking into her eyes, and wiping some tears away.

Hope nodded with her heart broken.

"Come here." He hugs her tightly, closing his eyes. "I need you to be patient and strong, okay? I can't do this without you. Can you do that to me?"

_Please, don't leave me_.  _I_ _can't do this without you._

She nodded between the tears.

"Good, good. Now, go with them, okay?" He kisses her forehead and take her hand.

She walks to the unknowns man like she would walk to her death. Part of Hope just broke. Part of her just stayed there with Bucky and Tony. She knew Mr. Stark would forget her and leave her like everybody else.

No. Mr. Stark won't do this to her. He promised. He promised he wouldn't leave her. He'll save her again.

"Hi, Hope. I'm Lucas. You'll come with us, okay? We have a really nice family you'll be with for now" Lucas said in a fake gentle voice.

_But I don't wanna go with you. I wanna stay here._

Hope looks at Mr. Stark and he nods, then to Peter, who seems to be almost crying and Pepper wasn't so far too. She turn to Lucas again.

"Don't touch her. She don't like it." Tony said taking Pepper's hands.

They start to walk away, Hope looking at them all the time, until she couldn't anymore.

She runs toward they, hugging Tony, who hold her tightly, doing the best that he can to not fall apart. Hope didn't move away from Tony's arms, just stretches her small hands inviting Peter and Pepper to come along, and they didn't need another action. They hugs her in a big group hug, wanting to keep her there, and Hope not wanting to let go.

It was extremely bizarre to them to feel so much attachment to that girl. How in matter of weeks she was able to reach everyone's heart, how her quiet and sweet way captivated each one of them so much that now they couldn't imagine that house without her.

Tony couldn't lose another person. He couldn't see another one leave and he couldn't do nothing about it.

"We have to go Hope." Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

They stayed like that just for another minute, Hope taking the first step to let go, she had to be strong again.

They let her go, even don't wanting to and she walk away not looking at them anymore. She couldn't. If she did she would fall apart, and she couldn't fall apart.

"I'll see you soon, kid!" Tony said more to himself than to her.

When Hope was gone, the feeling that grew inside Tony was anger. Anger as he felt from when Pepper was being tortured or when Peter disappeared into his arms, or when Rhodey fell and he failed to catch him or when Happy almost died in an explosion. Pure, red and vibrant anger.

"I want my fucking lawyers here now!" He said to Pepper.

"Calm down, Tony. They're on their way."

"What's happening?" Bucky entered in the room with confusion. "Where's Hope?"

"They took her." Tony said, closing his eyes.

"What? Who took her?!" He asked, in shock and anger.

"The social service." Peter said sniffing, trying to control the tears that was about to come.

Tony sat in the couch heavily.

"Someone called them said that we had her." Pepper explained wiping tears.

Bucky slowly clenched his fists. "Where they're going to take her?"

"Fost... Foster care." Peter said looking to the window.

"Bucky, what was there... Oh, what's happening?" Steve asked seeing everyone so tense.

Suddenly and without warning Tony was pushing Steve against the wall.

"It was you isn't?! You called them! Are you happy now??" Tony pulled his arms in Steve's neck.

"Tony, stop!" Pepper screamed.

"Mr. Stark, don't do this!" Peter holden one arm.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Steve asked.

"You called the Social Service! You make them took her!" Tony screamed in his face.

"I didn't do anything, Tony. Now, if you don't wanna start another war, I suggest you let me go." Steve said ice cold.

"Mr. Stark, please. Let him go." Peter said softly.

Tony didn't wanted, but it was Peter, it was his kid who was asking. So he let Steve go.

He coughed sometimes and Bucky helped him.

"Did you did it?" Bucky asked Steve with pain in his eyes.

"No, Bucky. It wasn't me. I promise." Steve answered accepting the help, and he looked at Tony. "And Tony... I know that at the beginning I was against her, but I liked her. I didn't wanted to no one take her. I didn't do it anything."

Tony stared at Steve and he knew he was telling the truth. And he felt more angry at him. It was easier to blame someone else, especially Steve. It was easier to discount someone's frustration. But Steve had done nothing. He did not call them.

He turned and ran his hands through his hair, closing his eyes.

"Matt Murdock are here, Boss." Friday notified.

Tony shakes his head, taking a deep breath.

"Let him in."

\---

"There's no fucking way!" Tony screamed to Matt.

"Mr. Stark one week it's the faster we can do something. You're not related to her or her family and her legal guardian is there too! We'll enter with the complain about physical abuse and as they investigate this we can ask for her provisional guard but all this take a least one week."

"Are you saying my ki- Hope is going to stay in the foster care, with strangers meanwhile?! The kid was terrified in stay with  _us_ , stay with strangers it's just make it worse! "

"Unfortunately, yes. We can't do much until that. But, Tony, the chances they let her stay with you are goods. Believe me. The kid didn't even went to school since her mother's death, this say a lot by itself." Matt put the sunglasses on.

Tony sighed and sat on the chair, putting his hands on his face.

"I need to get her back, Matt. I need her here. This kid stuffed enough already."

"I know, Tony. I know. We will. I promise you. Hope will be here with you soon." 


	9. Alone

Hope didn't remember the last time she felt so alone. It had been five days, and Mr. Stark hadn't spoken to her since then. Part of her knew he couldn't, the lawyer she forgot the name of told her that she couldn't speak with Mr. Stark for a while because that could "interfere in the proceedings".

But most of all, she was scared. What if Mr. Stark didn't want her and she would have to live with Arthur and Elizabeth again? She wouldn't even get in the front door before they would kill her for escaping and ending up living with  _the avengers_ of all people.

Hope sighed and looked at her watch. Friday hadn't spoken to her since, but the watch was still working. If it wasn't for that, she could swear it was all just a dream. She would swear she never had a family again.

The truth was, Hope was starting to doubt, and it sucked because maybe the feelings they had for her was just pity. Maybe they never saw her as she saw them. Maybe she just made herself a fool again, maybe she was nothing but the homeless and starving girl Loki found. She couldn't help but start to feel tears coming.

The pain was so strong, she missed them so much, it seemed it would kill her. All she wanted was to go back and play Monopoly and have movie nights with them. Hear Peter talk about Star Wars and spend almost all night with Mr. Stark in the lab, hearing him murmur a song that Friday was playing, too concentrated on what he was doing to notice her hiding a smile. Or even stay up reading with Pepper or see Loki's magic and learn self-defense with Buck.

_Bucky._

She touched the bracelet he gave her, feeling a tear fall.

_This will protect me._

"Hope?" She heard Natalie, the woman she was staying with, knock on the door. "I brought you lunch."

Hope didn't moved from the window she was sitting in, just looking at the heavy clouds of the storm that was about to come.

Natalie peeked in with her head and looked at the sad girl watching the rain. She entered, biting her lip and put the tray on the table and walked towards her.

"Hi."

Hope didn't move.

"I made chicken..." still no response. "Aren't you hungry? You didn't eat anything since yesterday... you'll end up sick."

She sat next to Hope looking for the girl's eyes. "Or maybe get out of this room? You've just stayed here since you arrived... Earth to Hope...are you in there?" She waved her hand lightly in front of Hope's face. Nothing. She shifted in the same spot, still biting her lips. "Look... I know you're sad and you miss... them, but you can't stay like this honey..."

Hope didn't move, just kept sitting there, and with that light, she looked almost lifeless.

"Okay..." Natalie said, giving up on trying to get something from her. "I'll leave the plate here. If you want something... Just... Just let me know."

She walked slowly to the door, and, before she closed it she looked at the girl again.

She really seemed like a ghost.

\---

Tony was sitting on the dinner table looking at the security footage of the cameras in the tower, smiling like a fool at seeing they play monopoly together.

Tony never thought he was this kind of guy, but he was. Peter and Hope had made him like that.

He missed her. The house seemed so empty without her, and everyone noticed. A part of the family was missing. A member, and it seemed like they had lost her.

He wanted his baby girl back. He wanted her next to him. That was the only way he could protect her.

"You want me to talk to her, boss?" Friday asked him, almost worried.

"No, Fri. We can't. Matt said it... it isn't good."

"Are you really going to take her, Tony?" Friday asked, her accent stronger than before.

"Of course. There's no way I would let her be by herself anymore." Tony paused the footage on a frame of her smiling.

He couldn't imagine how she was doing. The worry was keeping him up at night. It was like... it was like someone had taken his kid.

"Tony?" Tony looked behind him and saw Bucky leaning against the wall with a serious face. "You have a minute?"

Tony looked away and closed the hologram. "Sure. What's up?"

He came closer and sat on the chair beside Tony. A little awkward moment passed between them but they ignored it. It wasn't the time to bring up the past.

"Do you have new news?" Bucky asked

"Uh, no. Just old news. Her father, Arthur is with his lawyers and they're investigating her home abuse and... she's with a lady called Natalie... Matt is coming with the decision about the guard. Now it's...we just wait."

Tony hated to wait. It's out of his control and he hated it.

"Well... it's... about that, that I wanted to talk to you." Bucky began carefully, directing all Tony's attention to him.

"Okay. I'm listening."

"Well, you noticed Hope and I became close. That's because we... talked. Not... not exactly. I talked and... she listened. One night I came here to get a glass of water and she was crying. I came closer and sat besides her. And, for a moment she didn't look at me, she just keep crying. At some point she stopped and finally looked at me and... I said "I get it. We've all been there." She looked at me, almost challenging me, like she said: "Oh yeah? You've been through this?" and showed me some black marks on her arms. Tony... I know those marks. It's from a kind of torture with ropes. She's been tortured, Tony. A kid. Our Hope."

Bucky brought his hands to his face and looked back at Tony, who seemed horrified.

Tony didn't wanted to imagine how Bucky need this, or how Hope got those.

"You can't let her go back there. She's just a kid. An... innocent kid. She doesn't deserve it."

"I won't." Tony said with determination. "She will never go back there."

Bucky looked into Tony's eyes and saw that he meant it. He wouldn't let her, and that was enough for him.

"Okay." Bucky said, nodding.

"Okay." Tony replied, looking away.

Bucky stayed there just for another minute before he got up and started to walk away.

"Barnes?" Tony called and Bucky turned around. "I'm glad she talked to you."

Bucky just smiled and nodded, walking away right after.

Yeah, maybe they would heal.

"Boss? Matt's here." Friday said.

Tony sighed heavily.

"Let him in."

He waited a few minutes in silence with his head bowed low trying to prepare himself for whatever news Matt had.

"Mr. Stark?" Matt called.

Tony looked up at him.

"Can I sit?"

"Sure." He looked at the hologram again and felt his heart squeeze.

Matt moved slowly towards him and sat heavily in the chair.

"So, Tony. They've come to a decision." Matt said with a serious tone.

 _They'll take her from me,_ Tony thought

"They've allowed her to stay with you provisionally. But, since you want to become her legal guardian, a family court will have to meet to appoint you as such. That day isn't confirmed yet, but it should be soon. You can go pick her up now Tony. You can bring Hope home." Matt said with a smile.

"What?" Tony asked with wide eyes. "They really... they'll let me keep her?"

"Well, as I said, you'll have the provisional guardianship, and she'll have to go to school." Matt explained.

"That's no problem. I-I can put her in the same school as Peter. He can help her." He spoke fast, gesturing with his hands.

"That would be great. We don't know exactly how long it will take for them to come to a conclusion."

"Yeah, yeah! Great!" He stood up, smiling broadly "I'll go pick her up now. The lady knows about -"

"Tony." Matt interrupted him with a serious face that took Tony smile away. "I have to warn you, that guy, her father, he's not a good person."

"Yeah. Tell about it. How could a man who tortures his little girl be a good person." Tony said with a cold voice.

"Torture?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Bucky told me he saw marks on Hope's arms, and that he knew what caused those kinds of marks. It's a kind of torture with ropes. God, I don't wanna imagine what else this kid suffered." Tony closed his eyes, trying not to think about his kid crying in pain at Arthur's hands.

"That'll be good for the court proceedings" Matt said as he nodded. "But that's not what I'm talking about. The man was furious, Tony. He's... Dangerous. And his wife isn't much different. We have to be careful, for Hope's sake."

"I know. We will." Tony said with intensity, and Matt knew that he meant it.

He leaned back in the chair again and smiled. "What are you waiting for? Go get her."

Tony smiled and almost ran out of the room.

"Friday, if someone asks for me, tell them what happened. Oh! And thank Matt for me."

"Got it, Boss." Friday replied with a cheerful voice.

Tony would finally see Hope again and be able to protect her.

How could he ever think of leaving her in the hands of strangers? He couldn't imagine their lives without her now. Or no monopoly afternoons, or movie nights with Pepper, Peter and her. Life before the arrival of the sweet, quiet girl who arrived at Tony's house weeks ago seemed distant and unreal to him. He parked out in front of the large house and took a deep breath. It's big and comfortable. It's a good place for her but, it isn't right.

He stepped out of the car and walked towards the front door. He paused for a moment, holding his breath, and then knocked on the door.

Seconds passed before a blond woman with kind eyes opened the door. A shocked expression spread across her face.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Lopez. I'm here to bring Hope home." Tony said with a kind smile as he saw the woman's expression change to relief.

"Oh, thank God!" Natalie said as she brought her hands to her chest.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Tony smile rapidly faded away to a worried expression.

"She won't eat or leave her room, she's so sad... And I don't know what to do." She said with a guilty expression.

"Take me to her." Tony said, entering in the house.

They walked in silence until they reached the girl door's. Natalie opened it slowly and sighed sadly upon seeing that the food she brought earlier was still there, untouched. She stepped aside to let Tony enter the room..

"Hope? There's someone here to see you."

Hope suddenly froze. It was Arthur, wasn't it? He would take her. He would hurt her again.

"Hey there." Tony said lightly as he walked towards her slowly.

Hope was sure it was her mind tricking her. She was hallucinating. Mr. Stark wasn't there. The moment she turned around, it was going to be Arthur standing there with  _that_ smile.

_I'm fucked._

She turned around and looked at him, blinking to make the vision disappear. But it didn't. Tony was there looking at her with a worried expression. The relief Hope felt was so strong that she felt tears coming almost immediately.

She ran to him so fast she stumbled a bit, but Tony knelt down and caught her up in a hug which prevented her from falling

"You're okay. You're fine. I've got you. I'm here." Tony kept repeating like a mantra in her ear, and without even realizing it, she started to cry.

"Oh, baby girl." Tony's voice broke, his heart too. He couldn't tell whether it was fear or her crying causing her to shake, but either way, he could feel how scared she was. "I'm right here. I promised you, didn't I? We going home."

_I was so scared. I thought you would leave me. I thought that I never would see you again. I thought I would have to live with him. I thought that I would be alone again. I don't wanna be alone anymore. Please._

Hope let out a small sob as she tried to breathe properly.

_He took the rope with a ghostly smile on his face._

It didn't take long for Tony to realize what was happening; Hope was having a panic attack again. The realization made Tony's heart ache even more.

_The ropes tightened around Hope's wrists, making tears form in her eyes._

"Hey, hey kid." Tony tried to push Hope an arm's-length away, just enough to look at her, but she held him right back.

_She couldn't make any noise. She had to stay quiet and tolerate the pain in complete silence._

"Hope, I just want to look at you. Let me look at you kiddo." Tony asked gently in her ear.

_He left the room, leaving her there with her wrists tied and sore. God knows how long she would be there._

"Kid, it's not real. Whatever you're reliving it's not real. You're okay. You're with me. And you're safe." Tony tried to calm her down but Hope couldn't hear him. Or breathe.

Hope couldn't breathe. All she was feeling was the tight ropes around her, and it hurt and she  _couldn't breathe_

Why she couldn't breathe? Why did it seem like her lungs were gone?

"Hey, hey. No. Stay with me. You're not going to pass out on me. Breathe with me kiddo, come on. You can do it." Tony took a few deep exaggerated breaths for Hope copy.

_Pass out?_

Just then she realized she was seeing black dots in the corners of her vision and her head seemed heavy, and she  _still couldn't breathe._

"Hope. Focus on me." Tony spoke urgently and took her face in his hands. She tried to focus on his worried expression in front of her, but it was getting fuzzy around the edges.

"Breathe, kiddo. Slowly. It's okay. It's okay now. I promise."

It wasn't working. Tony's concern and the ache on his heart was only growing.

"I know you wanna go home Hope, so help me, okay?  _You've got to breathe._  They probably won't let me carry you out of here unconscious." he tried to joke.  _Like they could stop me if I had to._

_Home._

She was going home.

Hope finally found his gaze, seeing how desperate he looked.

"Breathe." Tony said again and let out an exaggerated breath for Hope to copy.

_In._

“We gonna play Monopoly again.”

_Out._

“What movie do you wanna watch? I know Peter made you addicted to Star Wars too.”

_In._

“You don’t know how much everybody misses you.”

_Out._

“That’s right kiddo. You’re doing great.”

_Do it again._

Tony let out a sigh of relief when he saw the girl breathing normally, looking at her with kind eyes.

"You scared me there for a second." He tried to joke again, taking a deep breath.

She looked at him, still holding him tightly.

“You okay? Ready to go home?” He asked brushing her hair away from her face. 

She nodded, feeling the exhaustion starting to get to her. 

He got up holding her hand and helped her to stay on her feet. He quickly thanked Natalie, holding Hope by her shoulders and led her out of the house. 

Tony helped her get in the car and walked around to the driver side.. He fastened his seat belt while watching her closely. The kid looked exhausted.

“You okay?” 

Hope nodded and leaned her head against the window of the car, too tired to open her eyes,.Her body shivered as a chill ran up her spine.

Tony noticed the shiver and reached for the temperature dial on the dashboard. “Are you cold?” He asked, narrowing his eyes. 

She nodded again. 

Tony took off his jacket and spread it over Hope like a blanket.  

“Better?” 

She gave a small nod, almost asleep[. 

The relief that Tony felt no long ago, was replaced with worry as he started to drive home. The whole way to the Tower he was taking worried glances at the girl. She shivered from time to time and looked too pale for Tony’s liking. 

He parked the car in the Tower's underground garage and looked over at her.

“Hope?” He called softly. “Kid, wake up. We’re here.” He touched her shoulder lightly, but she just made a noise and turned her face further into the door of the car. . 

Tony signed. “I think I’ll have to carry you after all.” 

He opened his door,got out, and walked to her side. He opened the door slowly, with his hand read to catch Hope’s head which had been leaning on the window. He looped one arm around her shoulders, the other under her knees, and lifted her out of the car. Tony kicked the door shut with his heel and gripped Hope more securely as she shifted in his arms. 

“Well, I definitely can feel my age now, huh?” He muttered to himself, as he walked to the door and stepped into the elevator. 

“Good afternoon, boss. Where would you like me to take you?” Friday asked. 

“Hope’s room, Fri. Quickly.” He said,looking down at her. 

“Mr. Rogers requires your presence in the living room, boss.”

“Later, Friday.”  

The elevator ascended quickly, and soon they were in her room. 

He laid Hope on the bed and carefully covered her with warm blankets,  looking at her for a moment. 

_ She's home. Finally.  _ Tony thought.  _ Everything would be fine now.  _

But that thought didn’t stay for long. 

Hope shivered in her blanked, and Tony’s concern grew. 

He sat on the girl’s bed and gently placed his palm on her forehead, feeling the warmth and the sweat forming on her forehead. 

“Shit. Friday, what's Hope’s temperature?”

“Hope’s temperature it’s currely of 103.5” 

_ Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.  _

“Friday, call Bruce, tell him to get here. Now.” Tony said, throwing another blanket over Hope. 

“It’s okay, honey. You’re gonna be okay.” Tony sat on her bed and watched the sleeping girl. Her hair was sticking to her pale forehead and her breathing sounded raspy. 

“Tony?” Tony heard Bruce at the door. “Tony, what's wrong?” 

Tony looked over at Bruce with concerned eyes. 

“Hope. She… She’s sick. Fever of 103,5.” 

Bruce came closer and looked at her, his professional side kicking in. 

“Anything else?” 

“I don't… I don't know. The lady who was with her said that she wasn’t eating or leaving her room or… Bruce do something.” Tony asked, worry evident in his voice. 

“Okay, Tony. You need to calm down. I think she’s only dehydrated.” Bruce said.  He held Hope’s wrist to take her pulse and waited a few seconds. “She’s kinda fast and thready. I think it’s best if we put her on an IV and give her fluids. I don’t know how long she went without eating or drinking anything. Let’s take her to the medlab.” 

Tony nodded and picked her up in the arms again. Bruce helped with the blankets, and they walked towards the medlab. 

Tony placed her on the hospital bed and stepped back to let Bruce work. Tony sat in the chair next to the bed and watched Bruce hang up bags of fluid. He winced when Bruce slid the IV needle into the top of Hope’s hand.  

“She’s getting normal saline, D5W, and RL She should be fine.” Bruce said while taping the IV in place. . 

“English, Bruce?”

“Saline, sugar, and salts. She’ll be fine Tony.”  

Tony let out a deep breath and nodded. 

“The team is waiting in the living room, Tony. They wanna know what's happened.” 

Tony looked at Hope and then to Bruce. 

“Friday, let me know if anything changes with her, okay?” 

“Sure thing, boss.” Friday said and he got up, still looking at her. 

“Let’s go, Bruce.” 

They walked together in silence until they entered the living room and questions erupted from the team. “Where is she?” Loki stood up and asked. 

“Is she okay?” Bucky asked. 

“Are they gonna let us keep her?” Peter questioned. 

“How is she Tony?” Pepper came close and took his hands. 

“Let him speak guys.” Steve got up and raised his hand up to call for silence. The team settled.  Steve crossed his arms. “How is she Tony?” 

“She's home.” Tony let out a deep breath. “She's fine, just a little sick and dehydrated, nothing big. They’ll let us keep her long enough to investigate her father and she’ll have to go to school and try to have a normal life with us.” 

“We’ll support you.” Wanda said. “We’ll do everything we can to help you and her.” 

“She's right. We’re a team and we’ll work through this together.” Nat said looking confidently at him.

“Hope is a good kid. Of course we’re gonna help.” Clint said with soft eyes and a smile. 

Tony looked at each one of them and smiled, finally feeling what he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Supported. 

“Thanks guys. I… I really appreciate it.”


	10. I won't let you fail

Tony stopped in front of the medlab door, still worried. 

Friday told him that her fever dropped and she seemed better, but he had to see it for himself. 

Tony knocked lightly on the door. “Kid? Can I come in?” he opened the door slowly and poked his head in the room.

She was awake and sitting on the bed, smiling at him. The scene made him smile, and the weight on his chest was suddenly gone. 

“Hey there! How’re you feeling, kiddo? Are you hungry? You've been out for quite a bit of time. I don’t think you slept much , did you?” 

Hope smile faded a little, and she shook her head. 

Tony nodded. “You were scared.” 

She looked down and nodded. 

_ I thought I would never see you again. _

He touched her chin and gently lifted her face upwards,  her look at him again. 

“You're home now. You're safe. I promise.” 

_ I know.  _

She smiled and threw herself in his arms and he held her tight, closing his eyes and feeling the warmth in his chest expand. 

“I missed you kiddo.” 

_ Me too. _

They stayed like that for a few more seconds, not wanting to come back to reality, the reality that Hope wasn’t his responsibility yet. The reality that Hope could leave him, but they had to. Tony had to explain everything to her. 

“Uh… Hope. I have to explain what's gonna happen from now on. And… I need you to be strong and understanding, okay?” Tony said still wrapped in the hug, but Hope let him go suddenly, afraid what he had to say. 

He was hesitant, and that wasn't good. 

“Well, first of all, we entered with a request for temporary guardianship. They're still seeing this and… They’re let me keep you while they're investing your father's abuse.” 

Hope's eyes went wide in shock. 

_ Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no!  _

“Hey, hey, hey. It's okay honey, okay?” Tony said, afraid that she might have another panic attack. “No more panic attacks today, alright? Let me explain.” 

Hope looked at him for some sense of safety and saw it reflected back at her. . Tony had a spark of determination in his eyes that made her feel like she could breathe. 

“Okay. That's better.” Tony grabbed Hope's hands and looked in her eyes. “Hope, I know you're scared kid. I know you're terrified of what you father can do to you.”

For a moment, Tony was hurled to the past, hidden in his cold room as he heard Howard's angry voice. The belt was in his hands ready to be used on Tony. 

Hope saw the shadow pass his eyes and squeezed his hands, bringing him back to reality.

He shook his head and continue speaking.

“But believe me when I say that he **_cannot_** hurt you anymore, Hope. Can you trust me, kid?” 

Hope hesitated. 

One more time, she was letting her guard down. She was putting her heart in his hands. But again, Hope saw that determination in Tony's eyes, that trust that she knew he was telling the truth. All she hoped was to not regret later. 

_ Okay. _ She nodded. 

“Thank you, kid. It's really important to me.” He hesitated, preparing himself for the worst part. “Now, for you to be able to stay with us, you'll have to do one thing.” 

She nodded and waited. 

“You haven’t been to school since your mom died, and I suppose it has  something to do with him, right?”

With a careful expression, she nodded..

“Alright. To show them you can stay with me, they have to believe you can have a normal life here. A great house, good relationships with all of us and a life that you weren’t able to have before. If they see that you’re happy and healthy here, it heightens our chances.” 

Tony took a deep breath “So... the first step is that you need to go to school.” 

Hope's eyes goes wide. 

_ School? But I haven’t studied since… I don't even know in what grade I am now.  _

“I know, you haven’t to school for a long time ago and it'll probably be hard, but Hope, I need you to try. Just try for me kiddo. It's all I ask. Besides, look at it  as a chance to make friends and be able to learn things and… Have a normal life, kid. You know that we’re all here for you. Peter can help you with whatever’s necessary and, come on, do you know of any better teacher than I? I’m kind of a genius!” Tony joked, trying to light the mood.

Hope hesitated. She wanted more than everything to be able to stay with Mr. Stark and the rest of the team. She wanted to be with her family and that was the price of it.

“And if you don't like it, we can contract a particular teacher. But you need to try be a normal kid. Have friends… have everything you weren’t able to have.” Tony proposed, trying to make her understand how important this was. 

Social skills? People who may hurt her? The possibility of  _ them _ getting her again? Too dangerous and terrifying. But Hope trusted him. She was putting her life on that trust. 

Hope nodded with a determined face

If that's what she had to do, she would do it, and Tony's chest filled with pried. 

“And… maybe you can even go to that ballet school that I told you about at Christmas.” He smiled waiting for a reaction. 

The girl's face lighted up like a Christmas tree. 

_ For real?!  _

Tony chuckled, and Hope threw herself in his arms. 

“I'll take that as a ‘yes’.” He said hugging her back. “I'll schedule a meeting with the principal, and we can go to the ballet school soon after. Sounds good to you?” 

Hope squeezed harder, her eyes filled with tears of joy.

_ Thank you Mr. Stark. Thank you so  _ **_so_ ** _ much. _

He let her go and look at her, smiling broadly. 

“Let’s call Bruce and him check on you, okay?” He said. 

Hope rolled her eyes and make a face. 

“You can think it’s unnecessary but you literally passed out yesterday.” Tony said, tapping her nose. 

_ Yeah, but I'm fine now. I'm home.  _

 

Bruce came quickly and checked her out, telling her how was good to have her back. 

“Well, seems like everything is fine. No fever or signs of dehydration.” Bruce said after he examined  her. “Are you feeling okay to go downstairs? Because there’s some people who would be very happy to see you.” 

Hope nodded smiling widely, but Tony intervened.

“Are you sure? You're not feeling anything weird? Dizziness? Weakness? Fever? Cold? Anything?” He asked seriously and Hope rolled her eyes, taking his hands and getting up. “Okay, okay. Just making sure, ‘cause again, you literally passed out yesterday.” 

_ I got this part Mr. Stark.  _

 

The next couple days passed in a blur for Hope. 

She was finally home, happy, things was almost normal again. Almost.

The fact that she had to go to school again was nerve-wracking. 

She hadn’t seen kids her own age in a long, long time and it was going to be the first time she was going out since she ran away from home. Not to mention what she’d read about the school she’d be going to didn’t help much; it was a school for genius kids. The last grade she’d been in was middle school. 

Sure, the fact that Peter would be there to help her was somehow comforting, but not enough to not make her ok with it. 

So, there she was, staring at the books and notebooks Pepper bought for her. The financial expense of it all made Hope feel awkward. She felt like the whole situation was making Mr. Stark spend money on her. He said he didn’t mind and that he had a tons of money, and indeed Hope was sure he did, but that didn’t make Hope feel better. 

“Hope, Mr. Stark asked me to tell you the dinner is ready.” Friday said from her watch and Hope sighed. 

_ It’s gonna be a  _ **_long_ ** _ night.  _

She got up and started to walk towards the kitchen.

Getting there, she saw Steve cooking something in front of the stove that smelled good. When he saw her, he cracked a smile. 

“Hey there, kidde. Dinner’s almost ready and team is at the table. Hope smiled back and went to the dining room 

It was noise, with laughs and conversations everywhere. Hope was supposed to be used to that by now, but she wasn’t. She was still impressed to how they seemed like a family.

Peter was the first who saw her.

“Hope! You’re here!” 

Tony, who was talking with Clint stopped when heard Peter. 

“Finally! You spend almost all day on your room! You don’t like us anymore?” Clint joked and Hope rolled her eyes. 

“Leave her alone, legolas.” Bucky said, patting Clint’s head. 

“Legolas? You’re spending too much time with Tony, ‘White Wolf’.” 

Bucky and Tony faced each other for a minute and then Bucky smiled. 

“Maybe.” Bucky answered. 

With a big smile, Tony looked up at Hope, who was sitting across from him.

“Hey kiddo. How you feeling? Excited for your first day of school?” Tony asked, clasping his hands together on the table. 

Hope struggled and make a face. 

“You’re nervous?” 

Hope nodded frantically, making Tony laugh. 

“I was nervous too on my first day.” Peter said. “But I’m really glad that you’re gonna study with me and that almost all of our classes are together. You’re gonna meet Ned and MJ and you’re gonna love them!” Peter rambled excitedly, making Hope smile. 

“You’re gonna be fine kiddo.” Tony reached across the table and ruffled her hair. “Peter is gonna be there, your father can’t come near you right now and you’re gonna spend time with people of your age.” Tony tried to reassure her. 

“I don’t even know why the little one has to go to that mortal place. She’s fine here.” Loki complained.

“She needs to be with people her age, Loki.” Natasha said, looking at him with teasing eyes. “But I get it if you don’t understand that. Do they have school on Asgard?” 

“Look, you’re-” Loki tried to reply curtly but Sam interrupted them.

“Okay, let’s stop there.” And then looked back to Hope. “You’re gonna love school kid. I’m sure of it.” 

“Well… I didn’t go to school, but it seems like quite a lovely experience Hope.” Wanda said quietly. 

“Studies show that the more you study, the more opportunities you have when you are an adult.” Vision said in his formal way. 

“See? You’re gonna be okay, kiddo.” Tony said, looking back to her. “Besides, you still have you ballet class remember?” 

Hope’s face lit up with a  big smile and her eyes seemed to sparkle. 

“We’re gonna be here when you get home, Hope.” Pepper said, talking for the first time. “I already set up everything and your clothes are coming this afternoon.”

Hope gave her a thankful smile and Pepper winked at her. 

“Well, my experience wasn’t so good. Kids were  pretty mean back then-” Clint began, but Bucky made him stop. 

“Not helping.” Rhodey said his mouth forming a hard line. 

The wave of nervousness hit her again, and she took a deep breath. 

“Hope.” Tony called her again, and her nervous eyes met his. “Look at us. We’re all here for you. If this school doesn’t turn out to be  good, you’ll be back home. We’re your safe spot kiddo.” 

“He’s right. We’re all gonna be here if you need us. Always, Hope.” Pepper said, taking her hand. 

“You’re family now.” Bucky said. 

“And we don’t leave family behind.” Peter completed. 

Hope looked to each face at that table, looking for confirmation, and everyone was smiling, agreeing and supporting her. 

Hope’s chest swelled with warmth and comfort that only a family’s love could produce. 

Hope didn’t know what on Earth she did to deserve them. But she was grateful.

She was no longer alone. 

For the first time that week, the idea of school didn’t sound so bad. 

 

All confidence Hope felt that morning vanished the moment the car pulled up in front of the school and she saw the  wide glass doors she was expected to enter. Her reflection in the car’s window looked back at her with wide, scared, brown eyes. . 

The urge to throw up grew stronger the longer she looked at the intimidating building. She felt sick and unprotected. She felt like everyone was watching her and at any moment something could jump of somewhere and hurt her. And she wasn’t the only one who was unsure now. 

Tony was sitting in the driver’s seat looking at nothing. He’s mind imagining a thousand situations where Hope ended up hurt both physically and emotionally. 

He cleared his throat and looked at her. 

“Are you ready?” He asked.

Hope’s scared eyes meet his, and she shook her head. 

_ I wanna go home. Let’s try this other day. _

“You need me to explain the rules again?” 

Hope shook her head.  _ I remember everything. _

“You’re gonna be okay, kiddo.” He gave her a smile.

He gave her a visual once-over to make sure she had everything she needed. He glanced down at her arm and the sleek gray watch with “StarkTech” emblazoned on the band. “Do not take this watch off, understood? And if the things go really bad, you call me.” 

Hope nodded. 

“Good. Now, go. The bell’s going to ring any second”

Hope took one last shaky breath, and opened the car door.  

_ I got this.  _

“Kid?” Tony leaned over and called before she closed the door. “I‘m proud of you.” 

Hope smiled, feeling a little more confident. 

_ I won’t let you down.  _

“Good luck. I’ll pick you up at 2pm” 

Hope closed the car door and started to walk away from Tony’s protective side. 

In the car, Tony watched Hope walked to inside the building, appearing to be so small and fragile. It coust everything to Tony don’t get out of the car and drags her back to his safety.  

_ “Please, let them be good to her…”  _ Tony thought as drive away from her.

Hope entered the large doors with her heart pounding in her chest. She kept her head down, wanting to be as unobtrusive as possible. . 

She took the map out of her backpack to check her lock number and walked faster, looking for the number. 

Once she found her locker, she hastily fiddled with the lock to open it. She stuffed everything she needed into her backpack so she wouldn’t have to walk through the main corridor of the school anymore than necessary and avoid human contact at all costs. 

But her plan failed after a brown skinned boy her age stopped at the locker besides her, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes as he spun the lock on his locker

“Hi, you're new here right?” The boy greeted her with a smile. 

When Hope didn't reply, he frowned. 

“I guess you're shy. That's okay.” He smiled. “I'm Ned, by the way.” 

He stretched out his hand, but once again, she just stared at him, making him bring his hand back to his side.

“Okay then…” He wanted to talk more, but it seemed like the girl wasn’t talkative, so he figured that it was better leave her alone. “Uh, I see you around… I guess.” 

He started to walk away, and Hope closed her eyes tight, cursing herself. 

_ That's right, Hope. Screw everything up!  _

“Peter!” 

Hope opened her eyes the moment she heard the boy calls Peter's name. 

Peter was walking towards Ned with a big smile on his face. 

“Hey Ned! Sorry I'm late.” 

In that moment, Peter looked up and saw Hope, and smiled even wider. . 

“Hope! You're here already! I asked Mr. Stark to let me know when you arrived but… I guess he forgot?” He walked towards her with Ned by his side. 

Hope exhaled with relief when the boy stopped in front of her. 

“Sorry, I woke up late today.” Peter said with a small smile. 

She just smiled and shook her head. 

“You know her Pete?” Ned asked him. His brow furrowed, but a small smile played at the corner of his mouth. . 

“Yeah, she's Mr… I mean,  she's a friend that gonna go to school here from now on.”

Ned looked at Hope again and smiled. 

“Hi, Hope! It's nice to meet you!” He stretched out his hand again and Peter widened his eyes. 

“Oh! Ned, uh… Hope doesn’t like uh, doesn’t like people to touch her.” 

Hope and Ned both looked down at the floor, a bit embarrassed by the awkwardness. 

“Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know!” He said, gesturing with his hands. 

Hope look at him and give Ned a small smile. 

_ It's okay. You're cool!  _

“Hey, loser! What's going on? Why you all stopped here?” 

A girl with curly hair approached them, her eyes immediately stopping on Hope. 

“Oh, hi. You're…” she looked pointedly at Peter for a name. . 

“This is Hope, Hope, MJ. She's a friend that's going to go here.”

“Oh, hi… nice to meet you.” She said again, giving a smile that Hope returned.

“How do you know Peter, Hope?” Ned asked, but Hope stayed quiet. 

“You don't… You don't talk?” MJ asked, narrowing her eyes. 

Hope looked down, her cheeks turned red. 

“No, guys. She doesn’t talk, but she's cool, you guys will like her.” Peter explained, looking at her. Hope never saw Peter with such confidence..    

The sound of the bell broke the conversation. , Peter and Ned groaned. 

“Oh, man… it's Mr. Jefferson again, right?” 

“Yeah…” Ned groaned again. 

MJ just rolled her eyes and looked at Hope. 

“What's your first class Hope?” 

Hope looked at the paper and showed her. 

“Oh, the same.” MJ smiled. 

“Yay! You're with us!” Ned exclaimed. Peter just smiled. 

“Come on, then. We’re gonna be late.” 

 

The rest of the day blurred together and Hope couldn’t even remember what she was doing anymore. She was tired and frustrated. 

As the day passed, Ned and MJ still tried talking with her, even if she didn't reply. 

Mr. Stark made it clear that Hope didn’t speak, so all the teachers knew about it. All they did was ask her to stand up while the teacher introduced her to the class.

Of course, that kind of situation made people talk. Hope was the “new kid” and the “new kid who didn’t speak.” Every time she walked the hall she heard whispers about her, even though the people tried to be discrete. And the people who weren’t, Peter, Ned and MJ, stared at them until they looked away.

But the worst part was the classes. 

She tried to keep up with the rest of the students, but she couldn't. She tried to understand what they were saying, but she couldn't either. Of course, Peter and his friends tried to help her but it was still too fast for her to process. 

When the last bell rang, Hope almost  cried out of relief. She pick up her things as  fast she could and bolted out of the classroom. 

“Hey, Hope! Hold on!” Peter called out for her along with Ned and MJ, as she tried to ignore them. “Hey, hey.. hold on.” He reached her quickly, and Hope forced a smile.

“I… uh, I know that today was really difficult for you… but it's gonna get better. You just need time to get used to it all again.” Peter said softly, trying to give her some comfort, but it wasn't very successful.

“Yeah, it’s just because you’re new.” Ned continued. 

“They’ll stop soon.” MJ said as grabbed her jacket out of her backpack. 

Hope was frustrated by all that, she didn't want to hear anything. She just wanted to go home and lay down on her bed. She smiled and nodded, not wanting to disagree with them. She didn’t have the energy to argue and what would be the point.

“Anyways guys, We’ll get going.” Peter said, nervously running a hand through his hair. 

“You’re leaving with her?” Ned asked. 

“Yeah… We… live close to each other.” Peter lied and glanced at Hope who looked to him puzzledly.

“Oh… Alright then. I see you guys tomorrow.” Ned said waving. 

 

Once Peter and Hope were far enough away from Ned and MJ, Hope turned to Peter with a quizzical look, hoping he’d explain his lie. 

“That. Right. They don't know that I know Mr. Stark.” He struggled for the words. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.” 

Hope wanted to know more, but she was tired, so she let it go. They spotted Mr. Stark’s car standing in a bus with its flashers on and Hope nearly cried. 

 

Tony was a mess all day.

The worry about the kid was killing him. He kept staring at the computer, waiting for the call. It took everything in him not go there and drag her home. When the clock hit 1:45pm, he almost ran to his car and began to drive, thinking non-stop about how his… the kid was holding up.

He knew the kid had a hell of day, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Hope stomp quickly towards the car, several steps ahead of Peter. 

She opened the door and got in quickly, wanting nothing more than to  leave that place. Peter slid in the backseat next to her and shut the door she’d left open for him. 

“Hey there, kiddos.” Tony turned around and greeted,, trying to sound cheerful. She tried to smile but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Tony met Peter’s eyes in the the rearview mirror and Peter just shook his head lightly. The act meant: “It wasn’t a good day”.

Tony looked back to Hope and smiled. He had a plan. 

“So, who wants to go for ice cream?”

Peter’s face brightened immediately. “Can we?!”

Tony looked at Peter and smiled. “Of course! You guys deserve it.” Tony looked back at  Hope. “What do you think kiddo?”

As tempting as the offer of ice cream was, she didn’t want to. She had homework to do and she was so tired. But since it was Tony who was asking, and there was Peter with his puppy eyes again, so she had to go. 

The corner of her mouth quirked up in a sort of half smile  and she nodded. 

“Alright. Let’s go then.” 

 

It seemed like the ice cream didn’t help much to improve her mood. Hope got a small mint chocolate chip, Tracy’s favorite, and picked at it slowly with the flimsy plastic spoon. Small talk and Peter’s jokes were more annoying than fun because of Hope’s mood. She wasn’t feeling it, she just wanted the peaceful solitude of her bed. 

When Tony parked in the underground garage of the Avengers Tower after dropping Peter at home, Hope almost ran to the elevator. 

Tony sighed and followed her.

“To the living room, Fri.” 

“Right away, boss.” The elevator moved quickly and soon they were in the living room. 

Steve was sitting on the couch with a tablet on his hands. Whatever he was looking at was confusing him if the divot between his eyebrows was any indicator. He looked up and his face softened when he saw Hope and he smiled. “Hey, Hope! How was –” 

Hope passed right by him and shut the door to her room behind her 

“It wasn't a good day.” Steve said to Tony, feeling like he didn’t need to ask

“Nope.” Tony said sitting on the couch. “She's upset. And doesn’t want to  see anyone…” Tony let out a deep breath. “Am I doing the right thing Steve? Maybe she's better just staying here.”

Steve sat up straight on the couch and leaned forward. He steepled his deft artists fingers under his chin and was quiet for a moment.. “I think you're doing the right thing. Hope has to be able to live like other kids, become a functioning member of society…”

“I… I know but–”

“It was just the first day, Tony. First days are rough. She'll get better.” 

Tony ran his hand through his hair, leaving it as chaotic as he felt. “Yeah… yeah, I know. You're right. I'll just have to wait it out. Right?”

Steve smiled, reached over and patted his shoulder. “That's right.” 

 

Hope spent the rest of the day in her room, trying to understand the homework and the papers she had to do. She was a pretty smart girl, but being out of the academic environment for so long had dulled her edge. 

The physics equation didn't make sense and she was frustrated and tired. She shoved her notebook and the textbook it was sitting on off the bed. It landed on the floor with a thud and a pencil bounced out of her notebook from the impact. The obnoxious rattling noise it made as it rolled until it came to a stop made her more upset. 

“May I suggest Hope, that you take a momentary respite from your homework? Studies have shown that 5 minute breaks for every hour of studying improve concentration, test scores, and overall academic performance.” Friday told her, wanting to help but Hope groaned in response. 

She let herself fall back on her pillow. She quickly leaned up on her elbow to grab it out from under her head and threw it over her face with her arms on top of it.  The dark felt comforting. She didn’t have to face all the things that reminded her of the failure of the day.

After a few minutes, Hope heard a faint knock on the door, which she ignored.

"Hope?" She heard Mr. Stark's muffled voice. "Can I come in?" He asked carefully.

She didn’t respond, so he took that as an ok to come in. The first thing he saw were the books lying on the floor and her lying down with a pillow over her face. 

He sighed and closed the door. As he walked towards her bed he knelt down to pick up the pencil before sitting at the foot of the bed. 

"Hard day, huh?"

A muffled huff from underneath the pillow responded.  .

"Look kid, I can’t imagine how hard it was for you, and I'm sorry you have to go through it. And Hope, maybe it was a mistake to send you there. Maybe..." Hope sat up, letting the pillow fall into her lap and looked at him. 

"Maybe you'd better do homeschooling here..."

Hope crossed her legs and put her elbows on the pillow, , resting her chin in her hands and gazing down at her blanket.

It was tempting. 

Hope wanted nothing more right now than to never go back to that place. But she thought of what Tracy would say if she were here. 

Hope remembered the time her mom told her how difficult it was at her dance conservatory. She was young and inexperienced, just like Hope. But Tracy didn’t give up. She worked even harder to make aname for herself there, and always told Hope that if we want something, we must fight for it. Not run away. 

Hope lifted her head off her hands to shake her head ‘no’ and stop Tony from rambling about what other options they might have. 

_ I’m not ready to give up yet. _

“Do you… Still wanna go?” He asked with intrepidation.  

She nodded. 

“But… Why?” 

Hope grabbed her watch and brought up some pictures of Tracy, showing it to Tony. 

“Oh…” He said. “I guess she wouldn’t want that, right?” 

Hope shook her head.  _ She would want me to fight.  _

“Ready to give it another try?” He asked. 

Hope nodded, determined. 

“I’m so proud of you kiddo.” Tony said smiling, stroking her hair with a fatherly affection he didn’t know he could feel. “I’ll help you, okay?”

He got up and picked the books off the floor, seeing the unsolved physics questions. 

“Oh! That’s what you’re studying?” 

Hope nodded. 

“Kid, that’s simple.” Tony said, flipping through the pages of the notebook, when Tony looked at her again, her narrowed eyes and pursed lips conveyed a look of anger that was legitimately scary.

_ Easy?! I’ve been at that for 3 hours! _

“Okay… wrong choice of words, but…” He scooted closer so Hope could see the textbook. He handed Hope her notebook and pencil. She sat up straighter, showing him she was ready to pay attention. 

“Friday, lights on 50% please. Well, you have this formula, right?” 

  
  


In the next hour, Hope had books everywhere on her bed, the notebook was full of numbers and equations and, hopefully, most of them correct. Mr. Stark was now sitting on the floor with his head leaned back on the edge of the bed, craning his neck to see Hope do her last equation. 

_ Done!  _

Hope threw the pencil down on her notebook with a big smile. 

“Let me see this.” Stark reached up and took her paper. “That’s right, kiddo! You got everything!” Tony exclaimed happily. “I’m so proud of you kid. You learn so fast! Obviously, part of that is because you have an awesome teacher.” Hope threw a pillow at him, making him laugh. “Okay, okay! It’s all you. It’s all you!” 

Hope laugh and hugged him. 

“You did good, kid. And you still have some time before your ballet class. You’re studying WWII, right? Why you don’t ask Bucky to fill you in on what your History teacher probably missed teaching you guys. Hope smiled and kissed his cheek quickly before grabbing her books and walking briskly out the door

Tony laughed and closed the books. Things would get better. He knew it. 

 

Hope asked Friday where she could find Bucky and the voice from her watch lead her to the Garden. 

Hope never really went to that part of the Tower, but she couldn’t deny that it was beautiful. 

Bucky was sitting on the grass doing nothing in particular, just enjoying being surrounded by plants, flowers, and everything green. Hope walked quietly and sat down next to him. He smiled at her in greeting.

“I like it here you know?” Bucky said “Reminds me of differents times… Everything was so… Simple. At least plants are still the same, right?” 

He stared off into space and seemed thoughtful for a couple of minutes. Hope savored the quiet with him. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each others presence. A few minutes later, Bucky snapped back to reality, looking over at Hope and smiling. 

“How was school today?” He asked.

Hope made a vague gesture with her hand before picking up her textbook and placing it on his long stretched out legs.

“Oh, you want some help? What era are you guys studying” He asked, reading the book title.  

She smiled and nodded, pointing at the bookmark stuck between the pages.

“Well, let’s see.” He opened the book to the page that was marked. “Oh! I remember that! I was there.” He joked and Hope laughed.

_ Just another shot, right? It will get better.  _


	11. Lies

The next day at school, Hope walked through the school doors with her shoulders straight and head held high. 

She was prepared now. She knew what she had to do and she knew she could do it. 

Peter, Ned and MJ were talking at their lockers when Hope approached them, noticing the confidence exuding from the girl. a“Hey, Hope!” Peter greeted. “How you feeling today?” 

She cracked a big smile as she stowed her coat in her locker

“You feeling good, right?” Ned smiled at her and she nodded happily, grabbing her textbook.

_ You bet I am!  _

“Oh, did you need help with that physic question?” MJ asked. 

_ Nope!  _ She shook her head, still smiling and proudly showed MJ the completed homework. “Wow… You got everything?” Ned asked, impressed. 

“That’s awesome, Hope! Did you folks help you?” MJ asked. 

Hope’s smiled faded, but she forced herself to at least keep a neutral face, as Peter looked down. 

“Did I-” MJ was interrupted by the bell ringing. 

Hope signed with relief and smiled. 

_ Got to go! _

She pointed towards the classroom and started to walk quickly, Peter right besides her. 

“You don’t want them to know, right?” Peter whispered in at a volume that just Hope could hear. 

She shook her head lightly. 

“It’s okay. I won’t tell them anything.” Peter smiled at her like conspiring little kids might. “Your secret is safe with me.” Hope smiled at him in thanks as he stopped in front of his spanish class. “See you in forty-five minutes!” 

_ Can’t wait for it.  _

 

Tony was in his workshop working on a new technology for his and Peter’s suit, thinking of something to make for Hope as a reward gift. 

He was so proud of her for not giving up and for doing her best. He was also proud of Peter, for staying by her side and wanting to help with everything. 

He was so proud of his kids and how good they were. Tony never felt so lucky and content as he felt now. 

“Boss, you have a call from the Ballet Academy.” Friday told him. 

Tony paused, screwdriver in hand, and looked up towards the voice, confused. 

“The Academy…? Patch it in, Fri.” 

“Okay, Boss.” Friday replied. The air when silent then the voice of a woman echoed through the workshop.

“Hi, is this the parent or guardian for our student Hope Jones?” 

“Yes, who is this?” Tony asked carefully. 

“Hi, My name is Jessica, I’m the ballet teacher for your daughter’s class. I’m sorry sir, the contact number is without name. To whom am I speaking ?” The woman asked. 

Tony sighed. “Tony Stark. And she’s not my daughter. I’m her guardian.” He said, with a sad voice. Somehow, that words bothered Tony.

The line went dead for a couple seconds

Tony spoke annoyed. “Hello? I thought that the terms of confidentiality that I signed with the school was clear.”

Jessica cleared her throat and infused a professional tone into her voice. 

“Yes, they are, Mr… Stark. But… us teachers don't see those things, you see. We stay with the class….” She cleared her throat again. “I assumed that my superiors would tell me of any special situations regarding student in my class but I suppose they haven’t gotten around to telling me yet. 

Tony was still a little tense, but made himself relax,. He sat  on a workshop stool and began to clean the grease off his fingernails with the bottom of his shirt. . “Oh, okay. Uh, Why are you calling? Is there something wrong with her?” 

“No, no. Not at all Mr. Stark. Actually, I’m calling because we’ve noticed that Hope is very good. She has… this innate talent and passion that we’ve only see in a few students.” She complimented. “And we believe that she has great potential to be developed. I was wondering if we could put her in our show in the middle of the year. Maybe even into our advanced program.”

Tony bit his lower lip. 

Things were still unclear with Hope’s guardianship situation, and that made Tony uneasy and cautious. e couldn’t get their hopes up only to have a court crush them. 

“Uh… Can I think about that for a while? We still have to figure some things out.” He answered.

“Yeah, sure! Take your time.” She said. “I just wanted to make it clear. She has a real talent. It would be a waste to ignore this.”

“Yeah, I know. Thank you so much for your call Jessica. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Stark. I’ll see Hope tonight.” 

She hang up, and Tony sat quietly in the stillness of the workshop, thinking. 

Matt said they would set the trial soon, but that was taking some time. That was good and bad at the same time. Good, because he could spend more time with her, and bad because everything felt so up in the air. And Tony hated that. 

He looked at the clock hands marked 1:45pm. It was time to pick her up. 

“Friday, tell Happy to get the car ready. I’m leaving.”

 

The last bell rang and Hope cleared her desk of her books, packing them into her backpack and hurriedly zipping it closed. 

“Don’t forget the homework that’s due tomorrow!” The teacher yelled as the students filed  out the door. 

“You did well today.” Peter said “Was anything super difficult or felt overwhelming?”

She shook her head.  _ Not really. Physics still pretty though tho.  _

“If you need any help, you tell me, alright?” He said, looking at her. 

_ Yes sir.  _ She smiled. 

“Now I have to go. See you tomorrow!” He started to run, weaving with spiderman like agility  through the packed hallway. Hope shook her head fondly and smiled. 

_ What crazy weirdo.  _

Hope walked to the front door of the school slowly, thinking. Mostly of the kids were already gone, and the parking lot was nearly empty. Happy was supposed to pick her up today, but instead when she saw Mr. Stark leaning on the car and smiling towards her, she couldn’t help but smile too. 

She started to walk towards him, but a voice behind her that she knew too damn well called her name, she turned around and her blood ran cold, freezing her in place

“Hope!” Arthur called her name, walking towards her. 

Tony looked past Hope to see Arthur walking towards her, and then to Hope. The girl was pale and shaking as the man in a well cut suit approached her.  

Tony ran to her as fast he could, his blood boiling in anger. He reached her before Hope could turn around and threw his arm out to shove the shaking girl behind him, putting himself between her and Arthur.  

“One more step and I call my suit.” He said with venom in his voice, resisting the urge to  not kill that man right there

Happy seeing what was happening, got out the car and jogged to Tony’s side. 

“What’s going on here?” 

“Call the police, Happy. This bastard shouldn’t be here.” Tony said, he eyes full of contempt and repulsion. 

Happy touched his earpiece and spoke to dial 911.

Arthur ignored Tony, looking past him to the little he could see of Hope cowered behind Tony’s back. . 

“I’m sorry.” He said, with pain in his voice. “I never wanted any of this to happen. I’m sorry.” 

Everyone frozen. This man was actually saying sorry

“It was all her Hope. I… I know I should’ve protected you. I’m sorry. I never wanted this to happen.” Tears were falling from his face. 

_ Liar.  _

“I know what I did. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But you need to know that I never wanted any of this. I loved your mother.” 

_ Lies.  _

“And you… you’re my daughter. And I love you, Hope.” He said, brushing  a tear off his cheek and composing himself. 

_ Lies. Liar! _

Hope was really shaking now, but not from fear, but with anger. 

He really thinks she can be this stupid? To make her believe he’s actually sorry for everything he did to her  **_and_ ** her mother? How  **_dare he_ ** say he loved her? How  **_dare he_ ** say that it was all her?  _ He’s crazy! _ A spark of anger exploded into a fire directed towards the man who beat her until she pass out. The man who left her hungry for days. She saw through his fake tears to the man beneath the facade; a man who would beat her right now if given the chance.

Hope moved quickly with lithe dancer’s steps and ducked around Tony, ignoring his hand that grabbed her arm. Her body operated independently of her mind, fueled by pure visceral rage and only the impact of her fist with Arthur’s cheek jarred her back into reality.  

Tony looked at the shaking girl before him. Her fists balled up and her posture rigid. He was in shock, he’d never saw Hope behave like that. He grabbed around the middle and pulled her back from Arthur before she could land another punch. 

“Hey, hey. He’s down, he’s down. I gotcha, he’s not gonna touch you.”.”

Hot tears were falling from her face as she struggled in Tony’s arms. 

Arthur looked up from the ground, holding his bloody nose. “I love you, Hope. I love you and I’m sorry kid.” 

Her rigid posture went slack in Tony’s grip as she slipped through his arms and crouched down on the ground. Her forehead rested on the pavement and she closed her eyes tightly as if waiting for an attack. Hope’s clasped her hands over her ears and let out a deep ragged scream. It was as if every beating and bruise she’d been forced to silently endure at Arthur’s hands was now making itself known in that scream. The first sound she’d made since she came into their lives and it was the most desperate scream of anguish Tony had heard in a long time. 

Tony kneeled down next to her and hugged her tightly, narrowing his eyes at Arthur who looked shocked.  Tony never wanted to hear that sound from Hope ever again. The far away sounds of sirens got closer. She opened her eyes slightly, just enough to see police officers haul Arthur up from the ground and slap handcuffs on his wrists. “I didn’t do anything! I just wanted to see my daughter!” He screamed and cried.   

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I’ve got you. It’s okay.” Tony kept whispering as he held her. 

“Mr. Stark. you have to come too.” Hope heard one man say. 

“I’m not going to leave her, I’m her guardian. I don’t care what you do with him; she’s my first priority right now. Call my layers, they’ll talk to you. I’m taking her home. Help me here, Happy.” Tony said with authority, his tone leaving no space for discussion. . 

He took Hope by the shoulders and helped her up as he stood up. They walked to the car with Happy in tow. He opened the car door and she slid in first, Tony at down next to her and immediately wrapped  his arms around her shoulders. 

She was still crying in short gasping sobs that didn’t allow her to move sufficient air through her lungs. 

_ He was there. You punched him. And you’re going to pay next time he sees you. He’s gonna kill you. He’s gonna torture you. You- _

“Hope, breathe. It’s over. It’s over, you’re safe.” Tony spoke calmly and clearly to affirm his point as he shared concerned looks with Happy who pulled the car out onto the road and began driving to the Tower. 

_ He’s gonna kill you. He said he loved me. He’s gonna torture me. What were you thinking.”  _

“Hope, we’ve been here before, remember? If you don’t breathe properly, you’re going to pass out. And we don’t want that.” He took her hands. “Look at me.” 

Hope gasped in pain when Tony held her hand, the right one in particular.    
“What’s wrong?” Tony’s grip on her hand elicited another wave of pain, starting in her knuckle and shooting up through her arm. Hope hissed through her teeth, momentarily distracted from crying by the discovery of her injured hand.  

Tony released his hold on her left hand and gently took her right hand in both of his. 

“Does your hand hurt, the one you punched him with?” Tony asked. 

Hope shut her eyes and nodded quickly. 

Tony gently touched the knuckles on her right hand with his fingertips, noting the swelling and bruising already starting to take place near her pinkie finger. He lightly pressed his thumb on the top of her hand near her last knuckle and she hissed in pain and jerked her hand out of his grasp. 

“I think you have a boxer’s fracture, kiddo.” 

Hope looked up at him with wide teary eyes. 

“I take it you’ve never broken anything before.” 

_ Probably a few ribs from Arthur’s beatings, but if I did, I didn’t know it.  _

She shook her head again, her breath evening out. 

“It’s ok, it’s a common fracture. A crack from the impact in the 5th metatarsal where the bone gets pushed underneath the other at the fracture site; that’s why your pinkie looks curled up like that. Hope’s shoulders dropped as she grimaced and looked up at him. Tony nodded grimmly. It pained him to see Hope looking so small, afraid, and fragile. 

“Happy throw me that first aid kit in the glove compartment will you please?”

A click preceded some rustling then a small white box with a red cross on it sailed through the little window in the divider and into the backseat.

“Thanks, Hap.”

Tony opened the box and grabbed a squishy white plastic bag the size of a deck of cards and squeezed it until it made a muffled pop. Hope recognized it as an ice pack. Tony shook the little bag for a few seconds and then placed it on her broken hand. 

“Here, hold that on your hand. It’ll decrease the swelling and make it hurt less.” 

Hope placed the ice pack in the palm of her left hand and laid the back of her right hand atop the ice pack. 

Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulders. 

“You’ll be ok Hope, Bruce will patch you right up. Good as new” 

She nodded, looking down at the swollen hand in her lap.

 

All the way to the tower, Tony tried to distract her from the pain in her hand by rambling on about Rodney’s and his   adventures at MIT, pranks they pulled, caffeine fueled allnighters, and tails of failing miserably at being each other’s wingmen at bars all around Boston. When they got to the Tower , she was breathing normally with her head still pillowed on his shoulder. She felt bone tired, like all the energy had been sapped from her body in the brief encounter with Arthur. “What do you say about we stay home the rest of the day, eat ice cream and watch dumb movies?” He asked, caressing her hair with fatherly affection, the frequency of which had been surprising Tony lately. Maybe he could be good at this? Being a dad? 

Tony waited for a reaction but got nothing except a one shouldered shrug. He sighed. 

“Okay, let’s get inside.” 

He got out in the car and slung her backpack over his shoulder then led her inside with his arm around her shoulders so she could still hold the ice-pack on her hand. The elevator took them to the living room and he plopped her backpack down by the door.

“Hey, little one!” Loki greeted her, smiling when she entered the room. When he saw her face pinched with pain, and her hand in an ice pack, his smiled vanished and he was on his knees beside her quick as a flash, cupping her face and brushing her hair back from her tear stained cheeks. “What happened?” Loki demanded,  looking at a worried Tony.

“Her father showed up at her school and she broke her hand.” Tony answered weakly. 

“ _ What?! _ ” Loki almost screamed in shock and anger, making Hope close her eyes tightly and cringe. He saw the reaction to his outburst and immediately regretted it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.” He said softly. 

“Friday, can you ask Bruce to come up here?” Tony asked, not taking his eyes off Hope. 

“Sure thing, boss.” The AI said.

“Can you keep your eyes on her? I need to call Matt.” Tony said to Loki. 

“Of course, go. I’ll stay with her.”

Tony thank him and headed to the workshop, finally allowing himself to feel all the anger he was holding back. His hands balled into fists and he stuffed them in his pockets. 

“Friday, call Matt.” He said with measured anger still tapering off. 

Friday didn’t even reply; the next thing Tony heard was Matt picking up. 

“What happened to “he can’t come **_near_ ** her” Matt?! You know what she did?! She  **_broke her hand._ ** She  **_punched_ ** him! And you know what I have to deal with now? A scared kid who’s afraid to even  **_move_ ** !” Tony said without stopping to take a breath

“Mr. Stark, calm down. I’m with Foggy at the police station and we’re straightening everything out.”  

Tony heard Matt rustle some papers and then whisper. “I don’t know why he did that, Tony, but it didn’t help him. You need to tell me exactly what happened at the school.”  

Tony dropped down on the workshop couch, pinched the bridge of his nose, and settled in for a long rehashing of the days events. 

 

Hope dozed with her head on the arm of the sofa and her legs tucked up close to her chest. Loki spread a blanket over her when she started to nod off, her broken hand still wrapped in the ice pack that was now losing its chilliness. Loki sat down on the couch cushion at the end of her feet. He opened a book with intent to read but the interest dissipated as he thought of what Hope must have gone through today. He imagined obliterating Arthur with his Scepter, watching him explode as the sharp tip of the glowing blue Scepter pierced his chest. But the Scepter was long gone, dismantled by Ultron. 

Loki tried to read a paragraph here and there but his mind was elsewhere. A knock at the door and the sound of it softly opening made him get up and place the book on the end table.  Bruce quietly padded into the room holding a case of equipment; he was several feet from the couch when he spotted Hope curled up under a blanket, her injured hand still covered with the ice pack. 

“How’s she doing?” He asked quietly, inclining his chin over at the sleeping girl.

“As well as can be expected I suppose, her hand probably still hurts but she fell asleep in a matter of minutes. She must be exhausted. How do you intend to treat her fracture, Bruce?” Loki asked nervously, wringing his hands. He knew that humans were sensitive to pain, especially when it affected a body part at important, delicate, and full of nerve endings at the hand. 

Bruce knelt down next to Hope’s head at the end of the couch and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and darted around the room quickly before landing on the kind face in front of her.  She exhaled softly with relief upon seeing who woke her up and made no move to uncurl herself under the blanket.

“Hello Hope, I hear you hurt your hand. Is it ok if I look at it and touch it?” He asked. 

Hope nodded, sat up on the couch and crossed her legs pretzel style under the blanket. Bruce mirrored her position from his spot on the floor where he could hold her hand at his eye level to examine it. Loki sat on the couch close to Hope where he could see everything going on and render support if necessary. 

Loki craned his neck towards Bruce to see the contents of the case he was rifling through. “How are you going to fix her hand if you don’t even know what’s broken or how it’s broken or if there’s bone splinters or anything -” Loki cut himself off when Hope’s face blanched and she whipped her head to the side to gape at him. 

Bruce pulled a thin rectangular gadget out of the case. It initially looked like an empty picture frame without the backing, a sheet of glass with a metal frame. He tapped his index finger on the center of the glass and the rectangle lit up. Hope and Loki flinched backwards in surprise. Bruce smiled, 

“It’s a scanner. Kind of like a portable x-ray machine. Watch this.” 

Bruce held the frame with one hand and placed his hand under the glass. Instead of seeing his hand through the glass, the bone structure of his hand appeared on the glass surrounded by a foggy dark shadow which made the bones stand out and prevented her from seeing the floor like regular glass.  The skeleton hand on the glass moved with Bruce’s real hand as he wiggled his fingers, made a fist, and opened his hand. Hope’s mouth dropped open. Loki nodded reverently. It was like a halloween skeleton hand come to life. Bruce grinned widely.    
“Cool, Right? Tony came up with it. The latest out of StarkTech. You’re looking at the prototype. So, Hope, if you please, extend your hand down towards me. Hope moved her hand out from under the ice pack and let it dangle off the couch. Bruce tapped in some settings she couldn’t read from her position and then the glass screen cleared. 

“Is it ok if I touch your hand, Hope?” She nodded. 

Bruce lifted his hand up to gently support her broken hand with his, their palms flush together. He held the glass frame over her hand and held it still for a moment. Then he tilted it to the side, then the other side. 

“Can you turn your hand over please?” Hope flipped her hand, palm up, and laid it delicately in Bruce’s hand. 

Loki looked down at their hands and felt a rush of joy at how far Hope had come since he found her. He could barely touch her shoulder then and now here she was willingly, calmly, letting her hand be held like she’d been doing it her whole life. He marveled at the trust she had developed in her short time here and wished deeply that it would continue to grow. 

“Well Hope you definitely fractured it. See that bone there, with the slight bend to it, that bump-out near the knuckle joint?” She nodded. “That’s the break. It’s not bad, a super easy fix and I can do it right here, no hospitals or anything.” 

Bruce placed the scanner in the case and withdrew a vial and syringe. Hope scooted backwards on the couch faster than anyone thought possible with only one good hand. 

“Woah woah woah, hey, Hope! It’s Lidocaine, so you don’t feel the pain of the bone being reset.” 

Hope squeezed her eyes tight and shook her head rapidly. 

_ No no no no needles _

“You’re scared of needles I take it,” Bruce sighed. “It’s ok, maybe if we ice it enough it’ll -” 

The door opened and drew everyone’s attention to the front of the room. Bucky walked in with a board game trapped under under his arm but dropped it upon seeing Hope’s hand and Bruce brandishing a needle. 

“Hey Hope, Friday said you were up here and I was thinking you- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!” 

Bucky ran to the couch where everyone was seated and attempted to understand the situation  unsure of what had happened. Loki spoke up, “Her father appeared at her school, she punched him and broke her hand. Bruce is fixing it.”

Bucky’s posture slumped in relief and his stomach turned at the possibilities of that encounter. “Hope, aside from your hand, are you ok? I guess as ok as one can be?

She shrugged and nodded minutely. Bucky sighed. “I’m so sorry doll.” 

“I was trying to give her some Lidocaine so she wouldn’t feel the bone being reset but it seems like needles are a no-go.” 

“You’re scared,” Bucky said, turning to Hope and began to speak. “I understand your fear of needles. When I was in WWII our unit got captured and I was… experimented on, injected with crap I don’t even know… So many needles....” He trailed off as he wiped the palm of his hand down his face. 

“Basically, it’s ok to be scared. Steve showed up and saved me, saved us all. He put his hands on my shoulders, solidifying his realness because I was hallucinating thanks to whatever they gave me. I had someone there for me when I was scared and in pain, and now I get to be here for you. Is it ok if I hold you tight while Bruce resets your hand? I know you’re not keen on physical contact but it might distract you from the pain if you’re adamant about no needles.” 

Hope nodded and Bucky sat down next to her. Hope’s eyes conveyed as much compassion as she could communicate without speaking it. A tear slipped down her cheek when Bucky spoke about being captured. Her heart clenched at hearing the pain in his voice. 

“Bruce do you have an anesthetic that isn’t injectable? Loki asked.”

Bruce shook his head. “I wish, but we don’t. And to numb the pain from something as deep as a fracture would have to be injected, a spray on anesthetic wouldn’t be enough. Hope, are you sure you don’t want the Lidocaine. I’d hate for you to be in unnecessary pain if I can prevent it.”

She shook her head and buried her face in Bucky’s shoulder. His arms came up and wrapped around Hope’s back. His flesh and blood fingers threaded through her hair as he laid his palm on the back of her head and held it securely tucked the crook of his neck. His other hand splayed out in the middle of her back and angled her away from seeing what Bruce would be doing. 

“Ok then. I’ll reset it on three,” Bruce spoke softly, holding her broken hand in his. 

Hope head nodded from under Bucky’s hand. Loki placed his hand on her other shoulder to offer his morale support and turned his head away, closing his eyes. 

Bucky nodded at Bruce before shutting his eyes too. 

Bruce lined up his fingers and thumbs along Hope’s hand and quickly but gently pushed the broken bone back into position while applying traction to her pinkie and ring finger. Hope’s muscles went rigid and her scream was muffled by Bucky’s shoulder as he squeezed her tight in response. 

“Done, done, it’s over. Hope you did great.” Bruce infused comfort and ease into his voice. “I’ve had grown adults put up more of a fuss for less of an injury.” He began wrapping her hand and wrist in an airy plastic sheeting that looked a bit like bubble wrap, followed by a yellow fiberglass casting tape. He spoke as he wrapped, “This will firm up in a few minutes and then you’ll be good to go. The wrapping underneath is ventilated and the outside is fiberglass so it can get wet in the shower. This stuff is amazing; I broke my arm when I was a kid and they only had plaster back then which couldn’t get wet. I couldn’t swim all summer and had to shower with my arm tied up in a plastic bag for months!” 

Bucky snorted and Hope cracked a smile. Bruce held the X-ray scanner over her now yellow hand. Only the tips of her fingers peeked out from the edge of the cast. 

“Perfect.” Bruce exclaimed. “How does it feel, scale of one to 5, one being fine, 5 being hurts just the same as before.”

Hope held up her index finger and Bruce smiled. “Glad to hear it. You might wanna lie down for a while and take a nap, breaking a bone really takes it out of you.” He snapped the case shut and braced himself on the arm of the couch to stand up. Hope nodded deeply and stood up, dropping the blanket on the couch behind her. Loki stood up too. “I’ll be down in the lab with Bruce if you need me Hope.” She nodded to response. 

“Come on doll, let’s get you to bed,” Bucky said, standing up and wrapping his arm around her shoulders and directing her to her room. 

Hope laid down with a pillow under her wrist and Bucky drew the covers up over her and tucked them under her chin, just the way she liked it. He knelt down at her eye level to speak to her. “You let me know if you need me ok? Use your watch to send me a message.” She nodded. He stood up an moved towards the door.    
“Friday, lights to 5% please.”

“Certainly Sergeant Barnes.” The lights dimmed to a faint glow around the baseboards of the room. 

“Sleep well Hope,” Bucky spoke softly as he shut the door.    
She snuggled down under the blanket and her thoughts drifted to her mom. 

_ Hope’s chest filled with pride and a huge smile broke across her face as Tracy left the stage. She was beautiful, as always. Her ability convey emotions through movements entranced the audience and invited them to feel what she, the dancer,  as she moved gracefully around the stage like a leaf on the wind.  _

_ Hope weaved her way through the crowd and slipped through the side stage door and ran down to the cast dressing rooms, waving to the other ballerinas and dancers, congratulating them as she went, and receiving high fives and hugs in return. Everyone knew Tracy’s daughter. She peeked through the door of her mom’s dressing room and found her at the vanity table taking down her hair and wiping away her ornate makeup. Tracy was humming the music she had just danced when Hope’s reflection  in her mirror caught her attention, and she turned her head around to greet her daughter with a big smile on her face. It was all the invitation Hope needed to rush through the door and hug her mom from the back. She looked at them both in the mirror, Hope’s head resting atop Tracy’s and her arms criss-crossed on her mom’s chest. Tracy held Hope’s arms as she looked at Hope in the mirror. “You were so amazing mom! The lady beside me started to tear up when you appeared,” she said, letting go from the hug and sitting on the chair besides her mom.  _

_ “Thanks, love. This night went really well, didn’t it?” Tracy pulled the last bobby pin from her hair. “So! Dinner?” She stood up and started to change into her regular clothes.  _

_ “McDonald's?” Hope said.  _

_ “What? What happened to Pizza?” Tracy asked, zipping up her coat  _

_ “Please mom! We had pizza last time!” Hope clasped her hands together under her chin, begging. “Please, please, please!”  _

_ Tracy rolled her eyes and smiled. “Alright. Alright! McDonald’s it is then!”  _

 

_ They walked home with McDonald’s bags in their hands, Hope was so hungry her attention was captured by the french fries in the bag and reaching in to grab a few almost every minute.  “Eyes up here buddy, you’ll trip on the sidewalk!” She said laughing.  _

_ “I’m sorry! I’m hungry!” Hope sighed dramatically.  _

_ “I know! But let at least save some to eat with the movie. What do you wanna watch when we get home?”  _

_ “Uh… I don’t know… Barbie? Swan Lake?” _

_ “Oh, you wanna-”  _

_ “ _ **_Give me everything!_ ** _ ” A man appeared in front of them. He helda gun by his hip, barely concealed by his coat. _

_ A chill raced up Tray’s spine as she shoved Hope behind her.  _

_ “Mom?” Hope trembling voice whispered.   _

_ “It’s okay, honey. It’s okay.” Tracy angled her face to speak slightly behind her while keeping eyes on the assailant.,Hope held her mother tightly.  _

_ Tracy reached into her backpack, “You can take all the money just… Just leave us alone.”  _

_ “ _ **_Give it to me! NOW!_ ** _ ” The man yelled.  _

_ “Alright! Alright!” Tracy yelled back and pulled her wallet out, shoving it at the man. .  _

_ The man took the wallet and opened it, angry at its meager contents.  _

_ “Mom, I wanna go home!” Hope cried with her face pressed into Tracy’s back.  _

_ “It’s okay baby girl. Soon we’ll be watching barbie, alright?” Tracy said softly, trying to smile.  _

_ “That’s all you have lady?!” The man pointed the gun back at Tracy who flinched anew. _

_ “Yes. Yes, that’s all I have. I’m… I’m sorry.”  _

_ Everything happened in slow motion.  _

_ Hope heard a loud noise, felt Tracy’s body jolt, and then heard a groan of pain. The man turned and ran away from the mother and daughter. Tracy’s body grew heavy in Hope’s arms and started to fall. Hope held her mom tighter and followed her mom’s descent to the ground, arms still wrapped around her torso.   _

_ Hope was shaking and confused until she felt wetness on her arms and saw a dark red patch on her mom’s chest start to spread.  _

_ “ _ **_MOM!_ ** _ ” Hope screamed, kneeling down her to Tracy. . “Mommy, no! What do I do?”  _

_ “Hey, hey. It’s… It’s okay honey.” Tracy said, trying not scare her daughter.“ Take my phone, Hope. Call… Call 911.”  _

_ Hope crawled to Tracy backpack and took the phone. Her shaking hands typed 911.  _

_ “911 what’s your emergency?”  _

_ “My… My mom was shot. Please come fast, I’m at 110 and Broadway. I think she’s falling asleep  Please I can’t lose her.” Hope cried into the phone.  _

_ Tracy hated to see her kid cry. Hope was so sweet and good. She didn’t deserve to cry.  _

_ “They’re coming mom. They’re getting here, alright? Just. Just stay awake.” Hope cried.  _

_ But Tracy could feel the darkness approaching. Every breath of air was harder to take than the last, and she barely had the strength to reach out and grab Hope’s hand.  _

_ “Hope, look at me. Play attention, okay?” Through sheer force of will, Tracy mustered all the energy she had left and spoke to her daughter. “Things are gonna be really difficult from now on, okay? But I don’t want you to change. I want you stay exactly  who you are. Sweet, good, and kind okay?” Her words ended on a groan.“And, love? Whatever your dream is, don’t give up on it. Alright?” Hope nodded. “Promise me.”  _

_ “I promise.” Hope said weakly. Tears falling fast _

_ “Alright. Good.” Tracy whispered, and took a shallow breath. “Hope; I love you, honey. With all my heart. You are the best thing… that ever happened in my life” _

_ “I… I love you too.” Tracy kissed Hope forehead and smiled weakly.  _

_ “Think about that as a good night kiss alright?” Tracy’s eyes slid closed.  _

_ “Mom…” Hope called,despair rapidly growing. “Mommy, wake up. Mommy. Mommy please. MOM!” Hope took Tracy’s hands again, crying. “Mommy, please wake up. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me mommy. Please. MOM!”  _

_ “Hope!”  _

_ “Mommy, please…”  _

_ “Wake up Hope.”  _

_ “Don't.Don’t leave.” _

“Hope!” 

Hope sat up in the bed suddenly, looking everywhere for her mother’s body surrounded by blood.She struggled and tried to flee. She had to find Tracy, or else her father would come to her.

_ Let go me!  _

“Hey, hey. Hope! It’s me! It’s me honey! It’s Tony. It’s just me!” 

Hope eyes meet Tony’s and it made her snap back to reality. 

The jolt back into consciousness caused tears to pool in her red rimmed eyes. Tony’s arms around her in the next instant caused those tears to fall in earnest and Hope cried. All the pent up sadness, frustration, fear, anger, poured out of her in deep gasping sobs which made more tears fall. 

_ She's dead, Tony. She's never coming back. She left me.  _

“Shh… Shh… I got you. I got you. You’re okay. It was just a nightmare. It’s okay. You're okay.” Tony repeated it like a mantra while she cried with everything she had. 

It seemed like an eternity, but eventually, she calmed down, and the crying became small sniffles she rubbed her red eyes with the back of her sleeve covered hand. 

“Better?” He asked, still holding her in a hug. She nodded, exhausted.

A knock on the door make Hope’s eyes widen. 

“Excuse me? It’s everything alright in here?” Pepper asked from the door and Hope let out a relieved breath “Can I come in?” 

Tony looked at Hope to see if it was okay;she nodded. 

“Yes, Pep!” Tony said, and Pepper entered smiling, her arms filled with pillows.

“It’s everything okay?” She walked to the bed and sat at the foot of it.. 

“Yeah, she just had a nightmare.” Tony answered. 

Pepper looked at Hope. “I'm sorry honey.”

Hope gave a small smile and nodded. 

“Sounds like it’s a difficult night for everyone.I thought about we’d sleep here and keep each other company.” Pepper said, gesturing to the pillows. 

Tony smiled and looked at Hope. “What do you think kiddo?” 

Hope smiled and nodded. She scooted up to the middle spot to indicate her approval. Hope snuggled down into pillow top mattress and pulled the down comforter up to her chin. Pepper smiled and settled down on  Hope’s right side., Tony laid down on the left side. Hope was warm and protected from her spot in the center.

“Comfy?” Pepper asked and Hope nodded. 

“Good night, kiddo.” Tony said softly. 

“Sleep well, honey.” Pepper murmured. 

Hope closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.  


	12. Forgive Me

“So he just showed up? Out of nowhere?” 

The soft voices of Tony and Pepper brought Hope to the edge of consciousness where she stayed, warm and comforted by their presence on either side of her. “Yeah... he’s good actor Pepper. The jury… Matt said that he’d probably be able to make a jury feel sorry for him which would work in his favor.” Tony said glumly.

“But how? Hope  **_punched_ ** him!” Pepper raised her voice a little and Tony put his index  finger to his lips, asking for silence. “Sorry.”

“The acts of a despairing and carrying father. He claimed that he never did anything to her, that it was some other person he knew, and Hope’s mad at him because he never did something to save her. He said he was afraid.” 

_ Bullshit!  _ Hope was awake now but continued to appear asleep so she could listen to them talk.

“That’s clearly a lie.” Pepper replied. “We know it’s a lie.” 

“Yeah, We do. But they have to hear that from Hope.” 

_ Oh, shit.  _

Everything was quiet for a few seconds

“She screamed, Pep. The very first sound that I ever heard her make and… it was a scream. A guttural anguished  scream. It felt like that scream gave voice to every hurt and pain she’d ever experienced and I... I never…  **_ever_ ** want to hear that from her again.” Tony rubbed his hand over his face to calm his own building anxiety. 

She couldn’t see it, but Hope could feel that Tony was distressed over the entire situation. _I’m sorry,_ she thought and she involuntarily flinched a little at the guilt of making him feel that way. The last thing she wanted to do was cause them more trouble after all they’d done for her. 

“I know Tony… But I’m sure she’ll talk to us soon.  She seems to trust us much more and she's part of the family right?”

“Yeah. She's part of the family.” 

The sincerity and confidence in Tony’s voice gave Hope great comfort and a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in a long time. She was important to someone. People wanted her in their family. 

“We should wake her up. It’s almost school time.” Pepper said, looking down at the ‘sleeping’ girl. 

“Maybe she could take a day off. What with everything that happened yesterday and how long it took her to fall asleep…” Tony tried to convince her but Pepper wasn’t so easily persuaded. 

“Come on Tony. She has to go to school. It’s only the first week.”

The room was quiet for a few more seconds, and then Tony spoke.  

“Okay.Why don’t you go get ready and I wake her up?” 

“Okay.” Hope heard Pepper’s reply, and then the sound of her giving Tony a kiss and the rustle of sheets as she got out of bed.  

The room fell in deep silence after she closed the door. 

“I know you're awake kiddo.” Tony said knowingly with a hint of mischievousness in his voice. 

_ What? How can he know? Just pretend. Just pretend!  _

“Okay, perhaps I’m mistaken, but I bet I can wake her up with tickling…” 

The fake innocence in his voice made Hope grin and ruin her illusion of being asleep. Hope sat up who was smiling broadly. 

“Good morning.” He said innocently. 

Hope rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly at his silliness. 

Tony’s smile faded a little as he looked at her. 

“How you feeling? It’s your hand okay? Bruce told me how it went yesterday”

_ Kind of sore. But okay.  _ She made a face and shrugged.

“Good.” He gave her a weak smile and looked away for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Hope, Do you… remember what Pepper said yesterday about last night being rough for everyone? After you fell asleep a couple things happened.” 

Hope sat up straighter and shifted herself to face Tony as he spoke. 

_ This is serious business, isn’t? _

“So, I talked with Matt… My lawyer and… I know that you heard part of my conversation with Pepper, which by the way is not cool, don’t do that again." Tony sighed. "Your dad said some stuff, and we know that he’s lying, but to the people who  decide who you’re going to stay with… It’s pretty convincing.”

Hope’s heart sped up. Her eyes narrowed in thought and she looked pointidely at Tony.  _ What are you trying to say? _

“I know that I’ve already asked you this kid. But why can’t you speak Hope? They’ll wanna know that and frankly I’m worried about it, kid.

Tony stopped and waited for a response, but all he got was Hope glancing away, her cheeks turning pink. 

She knew that they wouldn’t hurt her but she was still afraid. She hadn’t said a word in a long, long time. She’d almost forgotten the sound of her own voice, she was used to staying quiet and just observing. It was safer around Arthur to be silent and hidden, after a while it became her way of life. 

If she were to speak, everything might  change and she didn’t know how to exist in a world where she was an active vocal participant because it had always resulted in danger.   

“I get it kid. I’m not trying to pressure you alright? You talk when you’re ready.” He assured her. 

She looked at him and nodded.  _ Maybe soon. They won't beat me, right? I trust them. I hope I'm doing the right thing. _

“Alright. Let’s get going. It’s getting late and you need to go to school.”

She nodded and got up, Tony slipped out the door and shut it softly behind him, leaving Hope with her thoughts and to get ready for school. 

“Friday, let me know when she’s ready.”

“Sure thing, Boss.”

When he was out of earshot of Hope’s door Tony took his phone from his pocket to make a call.

"Hey Pete… I need to tell you something… and I need your help kid."

 

"Hi Hope." Hope shut her locker door, revealing Peter leaning up against the wall of lockers. She smiled.  _ Good morning Pete!  _ Hope held her books to her chest with her arms crossed in front of her. He was gazing intently at her face, looking for any signs of night’s distress.  Her smile faded when Peter didn’t smile back.  _ Not good? Oh my god, what now?  _

"Uh, Mr. Stark told me what happened yesterday… With your dad. I'm really sorry. It's my fault." 

Hope was confused.  _ How can this be possible your fault Peter?  _

"Maybe… If I had stayed with you instead of running out of class like that, maybe could have helped you or maybe I could-" 

Hope shifted her books to one arm so she could throw the other arm around his neck in a desperate hug. She shook her head rapidly.  _ No, that was never your fault. You can't blame yourself Pete. Never do that.  _

Peter was caught off guard. Hope wasn't someone who hugged people, so that made him feel special. 

He hugged her back, putting his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. 

"I won't leave your side until you're safe with Mr. Stark from now on, okay?" Hope heard him say with his voice muffled by the embrace. "I promise." 

Hope smiled, feeling  warmth and security fill her chest. 

_ I know you will. I'm sure you will.  _

The bell rang, breaking up their hug. 

"English class now right?" He asked smiling at her, and she saw that all sadness was away now. 

She nodded and they walked together towards the classroom.

 

"No, Matt. She's not ready…" Tony walked back and forth in the workingshop, messing his hair by running his hands through it with every pace across the workshop. "No, you don't understand. She's scared. I don't want to make things worst. I don't care about what they say, they don’t have her best interest in mind, I do. They're not seeing how afraid this kid is. Give her more time." 

"They want to know why she doesn't speak Tony. What's her version of the story. We need to know from her what she’s been through, what Arthur did to her, and how it’s affected her." Matt said, sounding tired. 

"That’s easy! She's traumatized!" Tony almost screamed into the phone. 

"Do you have any proof? Did you take her to see a therapist?" Matt asked. 

Tony signed. "No… I don't know if taking her to the therapist is the best thing to do right now." 

"That's why we need her to talk Mr. Stark" 

Tony sat down in the chair heavily. He was running out of options, and that was worrying him. 

"Why haven’t they found anything on Arthur yet?" 

"This guy is good Tony. He plays his role well. But don't worry. The police may be  lazy but some people aren’t. We gonna figure out." 

"I hope we do Matt… I'm trusting you with her life." Tony said. 

In a little office in Hell’s Kitchen, Matt’s heart clenched to hear the fear and sadness in Tony’s voice.  

 

A week had passed.

Hope had already become used to her school routine and homework load. Tony and Peter were always there to help, but after a while, she had learned to do things on her own.

She had not heard from Arthur since the day he ambushed her at school and she was extremely grateful for that. Everything was going well on her end, but she started to realize how tense Tony had become as the week wore on. Whenever he stepped away for a call he always came back with a furrow between his eyebrows and pensive frown. If she walked into a room that Pepper and Tony were in, they immediately stopped talking and forced smiles on their faces. All these situations were making  her feel insecure. If Tony needed to keep everything he was doing on her behalf a secret, it meant things weren’t going so well.

Despite all this, Hope tried to concentrate on school and her ballet classes. She practiced every spare moment she had to regain  the lost time she spent in Arthur's clutches. 

Hope was sitting on the garden bench, reading "To Kill a Mockingbird," for an English class. She had already read the book a long time ago, it was one of Tracy's favorite, but she didn’t remember the story very well, so she decided to read it again.

She was trying to read the fifth chapter when her thoughts anxiously drifted to Tony. He looked very stressed and tired at breakfast and barely spoke to anyone.

“Hey, honey!” Pepper's voice close by brought Hope back to reality. “I was looking for you.” 

Hope smiled and closed the book, marking the page where she stopped reading, and placed the book beside her on the bench.

“What are you reading?” Pepper asked looking at the book. Hope held it out to her. “Oh man! I haven’t seen that one in a while.” She smiled slightly, accepting the book from Hope’s outstretched hand. “Book report?” 

Hope nodded. 

“I see. I’m so proud of you for working so hard despite all this chaos.” Pepper said, looking at Hope. “You’re a very special girl, Hope.”

Hope smiled at Pepper and wished Pepper could know the love, admiration, respect, and deep fondness she felt for her. Pepper Potts, the woman Hope so admired, was telling her how proud she was with her. And Hope could see in Pepper's eyes that what she was sincere. 

Hope moved closer to Pepper and wrapped her arms around Pepper's waist. She leaned her head against her shoulder in a side hug and Pepper rested her head on the girl's head and smiled wanly.

_ Thank you Pepper. _

Hope pulled away from the hug after a few minutes with a puzzled look. She touched her watch and showed Pepper Tony's name, asking her where he was. Pepper sighed softly and looked down at her shoes.

“Tony's been in the workshop addressing some issues since this morning, honey, but he shouldn’t be much longer, okay?"

The sadness that had ebbed away while reading in the garden came back in full force when she thought of the anguish and trouble Tony and Pepper were going through because of her. She sat back on the bench and drew her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her shins and rested her chin on her knees.  _ He’s down there again?  _

"Don’t be sad, okay? Soon things will work out and he will be back to normal." Seeing that what she said had no effect on the girl, Pepper added. "He's fighting a lot for you, Hope. We're all are. I’ve known Tony for a long time. And I can tell you from experience that whatever Tony Stark wants, Tony Stark gets. " Pepper laughed softly and Hope smiled such that her eyes crinkled at the corners.  

_ It’s true.  _

“Everything will be alright, honey. You’ll see.” 

_ I hope so Pepper. I really do. _

 

“Get ready everyone, pop quiz right now.” 

_ What?! _

Hope’s eyes went wide in shock as she looked at the English teacher. 

“It’s about the book you guys are reading, to make sure you all are reading.” She said as she put the quiz page on the desk of each student. “Do not turn the paper over until I tell you to start.”

Peter threw  a concerned look over at Hope and raised his hand. 

“Uh, Mrs. Hunter, do you think Hope is prepared for a quiz? It’s only her second week.”

Mrs. Hunter attention was brought to a pink-cheeked Hope, who pointedly didn’t make eye contact with the teacher.  

“Oh, that’s true Peter. Thanks for reminding me. Hope, how about you just do as much as you know and depending on the grade I can give you some extra work to make up the difference. But this quiz will let me know how much you’re understanding of the book so it would be great if you could give it a try. Ok? ” Mrs. Hunter offered with a kind smile.

Hope was still staring at a set point on her desk, but the teacher's words caught her interest and she shyly looked up at the teacher.

_ I already read this book, I know how it ends. I would get a good grade and Tony would be proud. Why not? _

Hope slowly nodded. The teacher smiled proudly and placed the paper on her desk. 

“You'll have thirty minutes, starting..." She looked at her wrist watch and dialed the timer. "Right now, you can turn the paper."

Hope took a deep breath and turned over the paper, seeing the first question. 

_ You got this.  _

 

Tony sat heavily on the sofa sighing.

Things seemed to be complicated, and Arthur seemed to have advantages now, and that was taking Tony's sleep.

How difficult it was for him to hide things from Hope. Having to pretend everything was fine, even though he knew she was too smart to believe that little play.

“Friday? Any word from Matt?” He asked, sounding tired.

“No sir. Nothing since this morning.” The AÍ replied. 

Tony sighed heavily again. He no longer knew what to do.

“Did Happy pick up Hope at school?” 

“They are currently in the car coming here.”   

Tony leaned back on the couch. “Show me the footage of what she did yesterday, Fri. I feel like I've barely seen her.” 

The holograms pumped Tony's eyes as Friday spoke.

“Hope arrived from school and went to her room to do the homework, in which she did not seem to have any difficulties. Later, she used her free time to practice ballet” Tony saw the images of Hope linking the music, positioning herself in front of the mirror and taking the first step. He smiled. “So she went to the…” The AI broke off, and all of Hope's images were pushed aside, the image of Matt replacing the previous ones. “Matt Murdock's phone call, boss.” 

“Ugh, ok. Thanks Fri.” Tony fished his phone out of his pocket and held it up to his ear. “Hi Matt, got any news for me? Please tell me it’s something good.” Tony walked out of the lab and shut the glass door behind him. 

 

In the basement of the Tower, Happy was pulling the sleek black car into its usual parking spot. Hope grabbed her backpack with one hand and her quiz in the other hand. A big red 100 stood out on the top of the page. She opened the car door and looked back at Happy, she nodded and smiled brightly at him.  _ Thanks for the pick up Happy!  _

“You got it kid!” Happy had somewhat learned to read her facial expressions by now and could reply to her unspoken words. “And you’re gonna show him that quiz right? He’s gonna be so happy. He gets real proud of academic achievement, as you can imagine.” 

Hope nodded enthusiastically, bounded out of the car and shut it behind her, running to the elevator. She was so proud of herself and her performance on her first quiz, she couldn’t wait to show Tony. 

"Good afternoon Hope. Would you like to go to the Lab where Tony is working?” Friday asked.

Hope nodded, grateful the AI could see everything that went on in the Tower as well as hear it. 

The elevator opened on one of the laboratory floors and Hope walked out, unsure of where to turn next. 

“To your left.” Friday said.

Hope threw a thumbs up towards the ceiling and walked in the direction indicated. As she passed the glass walls and doors of the lab she saw tables strewn with gadgets and equipment, screens on every wall, and several large monitors humming away and blinking occasionally. 

_ Wow!  _ She looked around in wide eyed awe. Every time she thought she’d seen it all, Tony found another way to surprise her.

“Mr. Stark has stepped out to take a call but you may stay here and wait for him. He shouldn’t be long.” The AI informed her. 

Hope nodded and pushed open the heavy glass door to the lab. The hum of machines and screens greeted her as she took tentative steps around the first few feet of the lab. Everything looked so high tech she was nervous that she might step wrong and break something or touch something and set off an alarm. She thought of all the incredible technology she’d already seen and wondered what else Mr. Stark could come up with. Apparently anything, was the answer. 

She placed her backpack gently on the floor out of the way under a bench. With her quiz in hand, she stepped lightly through the main area of the lab, looking around at everything like one would in a museum. She came to one table that looked different from the rest. Instead of blueprints and schematics scattered all over it, this table had several piles of legal documents filled with jargon she couldn’t understand. She could see that they pertain to her and she was immediately curious. Hope hopped up on the high lab stool next to the papers and placed her quiz out of her way. She shuffled the papers a bit and tried to understand what she could. Was this all the activity that was making Mr. Stark so stressed? A cold flush of guilt ran down her spine as she neatly put that stack back in order. She moved to another stack when she saw the name Arthur on top of it. Even seeing the name made her stomach turn but she had to know what was going on.  _ Maybe there’s some way I can help with all of this? _

Hope flipped through the packet of papers and grasped bits of information here and there. Her eyes burned with frustration and unshed tears as she read Arthur’s statements that were nothing but lies. A yellow sticky note on one of the pages caught her eye. The words in Matt’s neat handwriting read “Hope needs to refute this if you’re to have any chance of winning this.”  

Hope put the paper down in pensive fear. She would have to speak. Maybe even in court. The only way out of this would be to quite literally, speak up for herself. Could she even speak? Maybe it was like when a person becomes paralyzed in an accident and they try to move their limbs. They could think as hard as they could about moving that limb, directing all their mental energy to “move move move” but there’s no connection to it anymore and the limb stays still. Hope spun around slowly on the lab stool and thought about her name. Maybe she could start with that.  _ Say your name Hope, just say your name. You can do it. H.O.P.E.  _ She opened her mouth and tried to move air past her lips. No sound came out. She tried again, making the shape of her name with her mouth but still no sound came. Silent tears started to fall. A horrifying thought entered Hope’s mind; what if she’d lost the ability to speak forever? Is it possible for someone to be so silent for so long that they lose the capacity for speech? 

Hope quickly arranged the papers just as she found them and jumped down off the chair. She walked to the other side of the bench and leaned up against the side of it to wait for Mr. Stark. A little glass box on another bench gleamed under the bright fluorescent lights of the lab. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands. It contained a thick metal disc made of interconnected discs and other parts, it looked like Mr. Stark’s arc reactor! An older model maybe, but still a lot like what he had now. She held it up to her eye level to see the words printed around the edge of the metal circle. “Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart.” Hope smiled and nodded.  _ Yep, he sure does. _

A loud bang made Hope jump and nearly drop the glass box. She fumbled with it for a second and ultimately caught it with both arms as she bent over slightly and held it against her stomach like a football player clutching a barely caught football. She exhaled in relief and straightened up slowly to see Mr. Stark standing in front of her. Her small smile dropped like a stone when she saw his clenched fists and angry expression the likes of which she’d never seen before. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Tony was red-faced and breathing fast through flared nostrils. “What the hell are you doing here?! Who let you in?! Who said  you could touch my stuff?” Tony demanded. The volume of his voice grew with each question until he was yelling without missing a beat and looked madder with every sentence.  Hope had never seen him like this. 

Hope's eyes filled with tears. Tony was yelling at her. He was screaming at her like Arthur used to  scream.

Gut instincts kicked in and she did what she did when Arthur yelled at her. She lowered her head and stared down at her feet, managing to keep the tears from falling from her eyes.

“You almost broke-” Tony stopped and looked at Hope. He inhaled deeply and tried to regain his emotions, but it was no use. A part deep in his mind screamed at him for control, but now those floodgates were open and all the stress and anger that had been building since last week flooded his brain. The small innocent way Hope looked down at her feet made him even more frustrated. The rational part of his brain had clicked off and even just her presence made him feel more angry. He felt like a hostage inside his own head as he opened his mouth to speak. 

“Do you know the incredible amount of frustration and effort I’m going through to help you? All the legal crap I have to deal with on top of everything else I need to do. This entire thing could be easily fixed if you’d just tell us what Arthur did. Give us something to pin on him. I’m going through all this trouble and all you have to do is tell me what happened. Just tell me!! Why can’t you  **_speak_ ** ?! Why can't we have a fucking normal  **_conversation_ ** ?” Tony accused without thinking.

Hearing Tony yell her biggest weakness at her felt like a stab in the back. She trusted him. He said he wouldn’t hurt her and here he was throwing the result of years of trauma in her face. Hope’s fear and a sadness was quickly replaced by anger, just like when Arthur showed up at her school. 

She lifted her head and met his eyes, allowing Tony to see how much he had hurt her.

_ How dare you…? _

She hastily wiped a tear that fell from her eyes in anger and then quickly headed to the lab’s door.

Only then did Tony realize what he had said, and how much he had hurt her.

“Hope…” He tried to call her, but all she did was turn around and glare at him briefly before she bolted out the door and towards the elevator. Tony kept looking at the door the girl had just left through and closed his eyes, feeling the guilt consume him. 

"What did I do..." 

 

Hope sprinted straight to the elevator with strong, angry steps. She balled up the end of her hoodie sleeve in her hand and wiped under her eyes, not allowing another tear to fall. She entered the elevator and immediately leaned back against the cold metal wall, Friday's voice filling her ears instantly.

“Where would you like to go, Hope?” 

Hope closed her eyes tightly, feeling more and more difficulty controlling her angry tears.  Hope’s anger turned itself inward and she felt blinding rage towards herself. Hope turned around and banged her fist on the side of the elevator, then she pressed her forehead against the wall. An exhaled ragged sob escaped through her teeth.

_ I can’t  _ **_speak,_ ** _ Friday!  _

She sat on the cold floor of the elevator, hands pressed against her head, feeling the weight of all the years she’d spent in silence come crashing down on her. 

“Your room?” Friday asked with  worried hesitation.

Hope lifted her head a little and leaned against the cold wall, taking a few deep breaths, trying to regain control of her emotions. Slowly, she nodded. The elevator sailed upwards towards the floor her room was on. 

She walked slowly to her room, crying without even realizing it. There was no more point in controlling her tears. She was alone now. 

Tony screamed at her. She was angry with herself and felt deep shame at her inability to speak..  _ All because you can't fucking talk.  _

She opened the door to her room and shut it tight behind her.

The room was dark. The curtains were closed, and even though the sun was bright outside, no light came through the windows. 

_ Still too big.  _ She looked around   the huge room Tony had given her. It didn’t seem right. It was too big, too luxurious for the kind of person she was. She had done something wrong. Tony was going through all of these troubles and legal battles because of her. It was all her fault. She didn’t deserve his kindness and generosity. Who was she anyway, just some kid that fell into his life.

She walked to the closet, opened the doors, and looked inside. It was still much bigger than she used to be, but it would be enough.

Hope stepped inside the closet, closed the door and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest. The closet was where she hit after Arthur's beatings so this was familiar territory for her. 

She rested her head on her knees and allowed herself to cry.

She wanted to talk. She really wanted to. She knew it would be so much easier for Tony if she spoke. But she couldn’t. She didn’t know how anymore.

 

Tony walked over to where the girl was sitting earlier and took her backpack off the floor, only then did he see the paper with a large red "100". Tony looked puzzled by the paper and set the bag on the table. Upon closer examination, he read, "Hope Jones. Congratulations!".

Tony felt the pang of guilt in his chest growing stronger.

“Friday, what’s this?” He meekly asked the AI, even though he knew about the answer. 

"It's the quiz that Hope took this morning. She came in here intending to show it to you." AI responded shortly. If a machine could sound peeved, this one did. 

“I’m a jerk.” Tony groaned and sat heavily in the chair and covered his eyes with one hand. “Why did you let her enter the lab when I wasn’t here?”

“You told me to give Hope access to every room in the Tower.” Friday replied. After a while. she asked. 

“Would you like to continue seeing Hope’s day yesterday, Mr. Stark?” Friday offered more gently.

Tony sighed, and nodded. “Yes Friday. Please.”

The holograms filled the room again, but this time they showed the Tower's garden.

“After her daily ballet practice, Hope went into the garden for some quiet reading time, and Miss Pepper accompanied her.” Friday's last words caught Tony's attention and he finally looked up at the screen in front of him. 

“Audio on, Fri.” 

“Hey, honey! I was looking for you.” Hope smiled on the footage. “What are you reading?” 

He knew he shouldn’t have screamed, he knew it was wrong to lose his temper with Hope. He remembered Howard and how he felt about his father when he would yell at him for something that wasn’t his fault.

Pepper voice on the hologram echoed through the lab “I’m so proud of you for working so hard despite all this chaos.” Pepper said, “You’re a very special girl, Hope.”

Tony’s guilt washed over him like a tidal wave. Of course she was trying. She’d spent years in an abusive environment, gotten out just God knows how, and was going to school, studying, and getting good grades. She was trying and Tony just yelled at her that she wasn’t. 

Tony stared at the image of the woman he loved and the girl who was special to him. They were hugging each other with such care and love he felt even worse about his most recent behavior.

Tony saw Hope let go of Pepper and gesture to her watch. Pepper signed. 

“Tony's been in the workshop addressing some issues since this morning, honey, but he shouldn’t be much longer, okay?"

Tony stood up but remained unmoving in front of the screen when saw the sad expression on Hope’s face 

“Don’t be sad, okay? Soon things will work out and he will be back to normal. He's fighting a lot for you, Hope. We're all are. I’ve known Tony for a long time. And I can tell you from experience that whatever Tony Stark wants, Tony Stark gets. " Pepper laughed softly and Tony couldn’t help but give a sad smile.

“I have to apologize.” Tony said to himself. “I have to find a way to apologize quickly.” 

 

Hope had no idea how much time had passed. She leaned her head against the closet wall and began to nod off when she heard light knocks on the door to the room.

“Kid?” Tony's calm, soft voice reached Hope's ears, making a lump form in her throat. “Can I come in, please?” 

_ This is your room, Mr. Stark. _

“Friday?” 

“She’s in her closet boss.” The AI replied awkwardly. 

“Her… closet?” Hope heard Tony open the door and walk in the direction of the closet. 

Tony raised his hand to turn the doorknob but stopped and sat with his back against the door. Soft sniffles came through the door every so often. 

“I saw the quiz.” He started. "A '100' huh? For your first quiz? That's huge." He stopped and rubbed his eyes. "I'm proud of you kid. 

Tony closed his eyes and listened for any noise coming from the closet, but there was only silence.

Hope was so quiet that Tony began to wonder if she had fallen asleep. He tapped his watch a few times and connected it to Hope's watch. Her heartbeat and cerebral activity indicated she was wide awake.

“I’m sorry Hope. I really am. It wasn’t right of me lose my temper with you for something you have zero control of. It wasn’t right to yell at you about something so sensitive and the result of the traume you’ve endured growing up. I’m so sorry. It was low, uncalled for, and just really shitty of me.” Hope was crying now, the sound of which made Tony’s heart ache, especially knowing he was the cause. 

“I’m just worried kid. I just want you to be happy.  It pains me to see you so hurt, that you’ve been abused to the point where your brain won’t even let you speak. I can't stop imagining what your voice sounds like. I really hope one day I can finally hear it.”

Tony twisted around and reached up to turn the knob. The next words he had to say, he had to say to her face. 

He slowly opened the closet door and saw the girl curled up, her eyes swollen and red. The empathy he felt for her was quickly chased by guilt and self hatred. Tony had once told he that she’d be safe here and now she was hiding and crying in a closet. She was like this because of him and his hasty stupid words spoken in a flash of misdirected anger. 

Hope rested her head on her knees with her arms loosely wrapped around shins, her tearstained face was still and unfocused. Tony sat cross-legged on the floor in the closet doorway and leaned forward to speak.  "Hope, you need to know that you're not a burden on my life. All that I said about the amount of frustration and effort I’m going through; I’m happy to do it kid. All that crap I said was the result of anger, but not at you. I never meant to hurt you. I'm fighting for you because I want to. Because I need you to be safe;I can't see you in the hands of an abusive psychopath.  

Tony was apologizing. He was saying  that she was important to him. He was making her feel special. Loved; something she hadn’t known since her mom had died.

“This is your room. This is your stuff. This is… this is your home, Hope. All these people that live here and that I look out for, the Avengers, and the others like Peter, Rodney, Pepper, Dr. Cho, these people make up my family. You’re in that group now too. You’re in this family, Hope.

That's all she needed to hear to scramble out of her closet and throw her arms around Tony. 

He's hardly quick enough to grab hold of Hope. Tony wrapped his arms around her back and put a hand on the back of her head, holding her to his chest. As they sat there on the floor, all the guilt and all worry that Tony was carrying, vanished.

“I'm sorry, kid. I’m sorry. We want you here Hope, all of us. You’re loved by so many people and you belong here. .”

Tony's words made Hope cry even more. She was wanted. She had a place in the world.

Tony pulled her away just far enough to look at her, brushing away a lock of hair from her wet face.

“And one extremely important thing,” Tony said softly, “You have to know honey that I’m a human. I make a lot of mistakes and sometimes I’ll get angry but I will  **_never_ ** hit you. I would  **_never_ ** hurt you in  **_any_ ** way.. When kids screw up they need guidance and usually a lecture but rest assured that I will never ever hit you. Got it?”

Hope wiped away a tear, smiled and nodded. 

It was good to know that Tony made mistakes but that he was also capable of recognizing them and apologizing. A polar opposite from the kind of man Arthur was.

Tony smiled at the understanding in the girl's eyes.

“Thank you for understanding kiddo.”

_ Thank you for everything you're doing for me Mr. Stark.  _

"I thought it would be good for all of us to do something fun after this epicly stressful week. How about having a family picnic this weekend? You in? ” 

Hope flashed an enlightened smile and nodded enthusiastically.  _ I’ve never had a picnic before! A family picnic… and that includes me.  _ Warmth spread through Tony’s chest and he laughed at the girl enthusiasm. 

"So that's it. This weekend, family picnic." 


End file.
